Giants in our own right
PETALING JAYA: Selangor begin their Asean Club Championship journey tonight with the toughest of openers – away to reigning champions Buriram United at the Chang Arena in Thailand.
The Thai treble winners, who lifted the inaugural crown in May after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Vietnam's Cong An Ha Noi, are widely regarded as the benchmark in South-East Asian football.
Striker Chrigor Moraes, who leads the line for the Red Giants and a former Buriram player himself, certainly knows the score.
But he insists the team must balance respect for Buriram with belief in themselves.
'Because Buriram are such a strong team, it's very difficult to play them at their home ground,' said the Brazilian.
'But I remind my teammates we must be strong and concentrated. We too have good players and I believe we can take the game to them.
As for Selangor coach Katsuhito Kinoshi, he sees the tough challenge of taking on Buriram as a great opportunity.
'This kind of game definitely makes us stronger,' said the Japanese tactician.
'Buriram have 16 foreigners in their squad. I don't know who will play against us but we are looking forward to see what they bring. For us, the focus is to keep our style, concentrate on our football and fight 100 percent. That's our preparation.'
Kinoshi, who previously served as an assistant coach for the Serbian national team, knows the scale of the task ahead. Buriram not only boast depth but also pedigree, with several players of international calibre.
'They are one of the strongest teams in South-East Asia along with Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT). But last season we earned the right to face these kinds of teams.
'I am very proud of my players and our work. To be here, to be playing Buriram, is an honour. Now we must show our style against them.'
Selangor head into their debut on the Asean stage after finishing as runners-up to JDT in both the Super League and FA Cup last season.
The Chang Arena has long been a fortress for Buriram and Selangor will be wary of the champions' ability to punish mistakes.
For Selangor, the trip to Buriram is more than just a group-stage opener; it is a statement of intent. And whether they leave Thailand with points or not, Kinoshi has made it clear that the Red Giants will not compromise on their identity.
'We must show our football. We must fight and we must be proud to play against one of Asia's best.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Celtic, Fenerbahce held to draws in Champions League play-offs
PARIS: Celtic's Champions League hopes are firmly in the balance after they were held to a goalless draw by Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan in Glasgow in the first leg of their play-off tie on Wednesday, while Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce played out a goalless draw with Benfica. The Scottish champions pushed Bayern Munich close in the knockout phase play-offs last season after finishing 21st out of 36 teams in the league stage. But Brendan Rodgers's team could not break down the champions of Kazakhstan, who have already come through three qualifying rounds to get to this stage and are eyeing a first ever appearance in the competition proper. James Forrest was denied by a great save from Kairat goalkeeper Aleksandr Zarutskiy right at the start of the second half from one of few clear chances that fell Celtic's way at Parkhead. At the other end, Brazilian Edmilson saw a chip from inside the centre circle for Kairat land on the roof of the net following a mistake by Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers. Daizen Maeda then found himself in behind the Kairat defence late on but could only shoot straight at substitute goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov. Celtic therefore have it all to do when they make the daunting trip east next week to Almaty, not far from Kazakhstan's border with China. "We're disappointed with the result and first-half performance. We didn't start with the intent and mentality we wanted to. We were quite passive," said Rodgers, whose team were booed off at full-time. "There's no doubt we can go there and win. Of course, you want to take an advantage with you, (but) it's still very much in the balance." Fenerbahce and Benfica played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their tie in Istanbul. The Portuguese giants, who lost in the last 16 last season to Barcelona, held on in the pressure cooker atmosphere in Turkey despite having midfielder Florentino sent off in the second half. Benfica therefore have the slight edge going into the return in Lisbon, but Fenerbahce are aiming to reach the Champions League proper for the first time since 2008/09. Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt look certain to reach the league phase of Europe's elite club competition for the first time after a stunning 5-0 home win over Austria's Sturm Graz. Kasper Hogh, Odin Bjortuft and Ulrik Saltnes all scored in the first 25 minutes for last season's Europa League semi-finalists. Hakon Evjen made it four early in the second half and a William Boving own goal completed the rout. Swiss champions Basel drew 1-1 at home to FC Copenhagen in heavy rain at St Jakob-Park. Xherdan Shaqiri's early penalty put Basel in front, but Gabriel Pereira equalised for the Danish side in first-half stoppage time.
Barnama
8 hours ago
- Barnama
ASEAN Club Championship 2025/2026: Selangor Tied 1-1 With Buriram In Thailand
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- An injury-time goal by Buriram United's Peter Zulj dashed Selangor FC's dream of stealing three points when they drew 1-1 in Group A of the ASEAN Club Championship at Chang Arena, Thailand today. In the action, Selangor managed to open the score through their import player Chrigor Moraes in the 38th minute. Shocked by the goal, Buriram United tried to recover by launching several attacks on the Selangor defence but failed to produce any goals, thus seeing the Red Giants lead the first half 1-0.
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Selangor denied opening win after late Buriram equaliser
PETALING JAYA: Selangor were denied a winning start to their Asean Club Championships campaign after they were held to a 1-1 draw by defending champions Buriram United on Wednesday (Aug 20). In the Group A match at the Chang Stadium in Buriram, Selangor were without the injured Mukhairi Ajmal and Wilian Lira but they still went ahead in the 36th minute when Brazilian striker Chrigor Moraes slotted home after a pass from Nooa Laine. Buriram, under coach Osmar Loss, pushed hard for the equaliser but were repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Kallamullah Al Hafiz, who pulled off several key saves. Selangor looked set to take all three points, only for Austrian defender Peter Zulj to head in the equaliser from a corner in stoppage time to make it 1-1.
