Jayapura, 2/24 (Jubi)- A victory by Persipura Jayapura against Churchill Brothers of India in the AFC Cup today ( 2/25) would provide a consolation after disappointment over a controversial 1-0 over Persiba and flooding that hit Jayapura.
Persipura is widely expected to overcome Churchill Brothers with striker Boas Salossa leading the charge.
After the victory over Persiba thanks to a controversial penalty awarded by the referee on Friday, Persipura were back on training on Saturday and Monday to prepare for the match against the Indian opponents.
Coach Jacksen F Tiago said he had enough information about the Churchill Brothers, including from the internet, fellow Brazilians in India and Titus Bonai, who scored a goal against the Indian side.
In the 2012-2013 AFC Cup, Semen Padang defeated Churchill Brothers, with Bonai scoring one goal. Semen Padang failed to qualify for the last four after a defeat by another Indian club, East Bengal.
Persipura was runners up of Group H together wit Chonbury of Thailand. Persipura went through to the last eight after beating Group F winners Vietnam’s Song Lam Nghe 3-0. In the quarter finals, Persipura were defeated by Iraq’s Arbyil FC 1-2 at Mandala stadium and 0-1 in Iraq.
Tiago said Churchil Brothers would not be easy to defeat.
“We won against East Bengal because our players were very good” he told tabloidjubi.com.
“When we lost, we kept looking forward and learned from the defeat, so, every player could redeem themselves and progress should start from ourselves,” said Tiago.
Still, the current condition is somewhat different. Preparations were inadequate and players are not in their best forms.
Coach Tiago said that playing at the Asian-level, non-technical factors have more weight than technical ones. The habits carried from playing in the Indonesian Super League affect the mental readiness of players to achieve higher levels.
Tabloidjubi.com noted that the key to Persipura success’s during the 2008-2009 and the 2010-2011 seasons were togetherness and the familial atmosphere on and off the pitch.
In addition, core and reserve players were of similar levels of skills, making it easier for the coach to strategize and improve the quality of their games. (Jubi / Dominggus a Mampioper/ Tina)
