Santos hopes to make instant impact with JDT on Asian stage

PETALING JAYA: Brazilian centreback Mauricio Santos is looking forward to pushing himself to the limit in the AFC Champions League.

Having played in the UEFA Champions League with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon, Santos is ready to up the ante when Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) clash against defending champions Kashima Antlers at the Kashima Stadium today.

The 2015 AFC Cup winners and five-time Super League champions JDT are making their first AFC Champions League appearance having exited in the qualifying rounds in the past four seasons.

Santos, who is making his debut with JDT this season, wants to make an immediate impact.

“I’m looking forward to making my debut on the Asian stage. I feel good and confident,” said the 30-year-old.

“All players are eager to show their abilities. We’ve done well in the league, and I hope it will resonate in the Champions League.”

There were fears that Santos could not feature in the match due to an injury scare when he came off in the second-half of his team’s 4-2 victory against Selangor over the weekend, but the physically imposing defender said it was nothing.

“Nothing happened to me, and I can play. It was a minor niggle, nothing serious,” said Santos, who has also plied his trade with clubs such as Legia Warsaw and Spartak Moscow.

Kashima were crowned continental champions for the first time when they defeated Iran’s Persepolis 2-0 on aggregate last November, but only advanced to the 2019 edition after seeing off Australia’s Newcastle Jets in the play-off round.

Kashima have picked up just one point from their first two games in this season’s J1-League but go into the match with JDT on the back of a 1-1 draw against defending champions Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday.

JDT, on the other hand, currently sit in familiar territory on top of their domestic league, unbeaten in their opening five games.