Ceres Negros braces vs Yangon United

CERES Negros FC squares off with Yangon United FC of Myanmar in the first leg of their zonal semifinals faceoff in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup 2018 today at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.

The Yellow Busmen and the Lions’ first encounter explodes at 7 p.m.

Defending Asean zone champion Ceres Negros made its third straight knockout stage appearance after posting a best runner-up finish among the three Southeast Asian groups.

Ceres failed to top Group F following a 0-2 home defeat to last year’s finals foe Home United FC of Singapore in the closing match day of the preliminary round.

The Philippine titlist’s 13 points anchored on a 4-1-1 win- draw-loss record were nonetheless enough to book them a return ticket to the playoffs.

Serbian head coach Risto Vidakovic is expected to bank on prolific strikers Bienvenido Marañon and Takumi Uesato, midfielders Stephan Shrock and Omid Nazari, and goalkeeper Toni Doblas, as Ceres eyes to replicate its semifinal win against Johor Darul Ta’zim of Malaysia last season.

Yangon United, meanwhile, reentered the knockout phase after a three-year absence, as it ruled Group G with 13 points on a 4-1-1 slate.

The Burmese runner-up achieved back-to-back playoff appearances in 2013 and 2014.

Yangon racked up three consecutive wins to open its campaign before bouncing back from a loss to Filipino club Global Cebu with a narrow win over Bali United FC of Indonesia.

Senegalese former Global striker and forward Sekou Sylla, Japanese midfielder Kosuke Uchida and local stalwart Maung Maung Lwin will lead the charge for the Myo Min Tun-mentored team.