Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

New signings boost Tampines’ AFC Champs League assault

SINGAPORE — Their immediate task is to defend their S-League title but for Tampines Rovers, a place in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League is equally important — for pride and recognition.

From left: New Tampines signings Martinez Roberto Gamarra, Kunihiro Yamashita, Miljan Mrdakovic, Luis Gonzalez, Norihiro Kawakami. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

From left: New Tampines signings Martinez Roberto Gamarra, Kunihiro Yamashita, Miljan Mrdakovic, Luis Gonzalez, Norihiro Kawakami. Photo: Wee Teck Hian

SINGAPORE — Their immediate task is to defend their S-League title but for Tampines Rovers, a place in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League is equally important — for pride and recognition.

The five-time S-League champions believe they are ready to challenge at the highest level of Asian club football, though getting to the AFC Champions League proper would mean negotiating three tough qualifying ties.

Rovers play Hong Kong’s leading club South China FC on Feb 2 at Jalan Besar Stadium and, should they win, will meet Thailand’s Chonburi FC a week later in Bangkok. Victory over the Thai club will take them through to the final qualifying match against Beijing Guoan on Feb 15.

Getting all three wins looks a tall order though Tampines are confident of mounting a serious assault after a number of foreign signings recently, particularly the capture of former Serbian international striker, 31-year old Miljan Mrdakovic as their marquee player.

“The signings will enhance the team’s performance. We are aware that the AFC Champions league qualifier is serious business but we are ready to meet the challenge,” said Rovers coach Salim Moin.

Unveiling yesterday all their five foreign signings — midfielders Luiz Gonzales and Roberto Gamarra of Paraguay, two Japanese defenders Kunihiro Yamashita and Norihiro Kawakami and Mrdakovic — at their club house yesterday, Salim a former Singapore international, spoke highly of the club’s acquisition.

“Watch out for the Paraguayans. They will add excitement to the team with their South American flair,” he said. “The two Japanese, like their countrymen are determined and hardworking and we have Miljan a proven goalscorer in the top league of European football.”

Mrdakovic has had a long career in European football and among others played for Salzburg and Gent in Austria, Apollon Limassol of Cyprus and Macabbi Tel Aviv in Israel.

He also played for Shandong Luneng in China where he made his debut in the AFC Champions League in the 2009 season and at international level has been capped at the U-16,U-18 , U-21 and U-23 side.

He also played for Serbia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in 2011 made his full A international debut against Australia and South Korea.

“Scoring goals is my business and I have scored for each and every club I have played for,” said Mrdakovic. “The pressure is always on a striker to score and I am sure people want to see me score 20 goals or more for Tampines Rovers. I am always a goalscorer and I am aware that that’s what I am expected of.” DAN GUEN CHIN

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.