PSM Makassar Vs Hougang United AFC Cup: Alert To The Awakening Of Opposite Teams

PSM Makassar coach, Bruno Tavares (second from the right). (Photo via Antara)

PSM Makassar will face Hougang United, in the third match of Group H of the 2023/2024 AFC Cup at the Captain I Wayan Dipta Stadium, Gianyar Regency, Bali, Wednesday, October 25. This match will take place at 19.00 WIB.

The home team anticipates the fast rhythm of the opposing team from Singapore. The spirit of never giving up is also often shown by Hougang to be able to turn things around.

"We have to focus because this team can change things quickly like last match in the AFC Cup, they initially lost 1-0 and a few minutes before it ended, they were able to win," said PSM coach Bernardo Tavares.

For this reason, Juku Eja tried to evaluate through the last exercise to strengthen tactics and techniques. Tavares did not want his squad to be careless and concede a goal against the visitors from the Singapore Premier League.

Several evaluations became important notes when PSM Makassar was forced to swallow the bitter pill because it lost in the last two matches in the group H phase of the AFC Cup.

While playing away against the Vietnam team, Hai Phong, the first match of the group H phase, PSM lost 3-0 at the Lach Tray Stadium, Vietnam.

The lack of training time, including the tight schedule, he continued, affected his team's defeat in Vietnam.

"Our first game lacked preparation, poor journey, a lot of things happened," he said.

Meanwhile, in the second match of the group H phase of the AFC Cup, PSM was hit 5-0 by a visitors from Malaysia, Sabah FC at the Captain I Wayan Dipta Stadium, Gianyar Regency, on Thursday, October 5.

The defeat, he said, was also contributed by the mistakes of his team so that they conceded five goals at once at home.

"So we will give the best results for a better result. We hope that tomorrow we will make history different from the previous two matches in the AFC Cup," he said.

Statistically in the AFC Cup Group H standings, the United Hougang is above the wind with three points in second place.

The Hougang previously defeated Vietnam's representative, Hai Phong with a score of 2-1 in the second match at the Singapore Grand Road Stadium.

The club from the lion country is three points adrift with Sabah FC, a representative from Malaysia who is at the top of the AFC Cup Group H phase standings.

Meanwhile, PSM Makassar is in the last position of four clubs with zero points in Group H of the AFC Cup.