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Semen Padang having their final training session at the Salt Lake Stadium ahead of their AFC Cup clash against East Bengal on Tuesday
Semen Padang coach Jafri Sastra paid his respect to their AFC Cup quarter-final opponents East Bengal with special mention for the Kolkata club’s four foreigners.
“East Bengal are a quality side who have played very well to reach the quarter-finals. They are playing at home so we expect them to be strong and they have quality foreigners as well,” Sastra stated at the pre-match press conference.
The general feeling is that Semen Padang have had much better preparation than East Bengal and Sastra admitted that there has been much more effort from the players as their club is on the verge of history.
“We try to have maximum preparation before any game but of course this quarter-final is big for us as we could become the first Indonesian club to reach the semis,” he said.
Sastra paid tribute to Kolkata’s passion for football but stated that his team won’t be intimidated by East Bengal’s home support.
“We are aware of Kolkata’s passion for football. It is like the motherland of Indian football. So we are excited and looking forward to it but are not scared at all,” Sastra concluded.
