Brisbane Roar’s bid to reach the AFC Champions League group stage for a second successive season begins with a Preliminary Round 2 clash against Filipino outfit Ceres-Negros on Tuesday night.
The inaugural Philippines Football League champions edged out Shan United to seal a trip to Queensland and arrive with a squad featuring a sprinkling of overseas and international experience.
With the winner to advance to a final play-off against Tianjin Quanjian, get to know more about ‘the Busmen’ before the do-or-die meeting at QSAC Stadium.
HISTORY
Founded in January 2012 as Ceres-La Salle, the club’s rise to prominence has been swift and consistent.
An impressive run to the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup in 2016 was quickly followed up by a third-place finish at the Singapore Cup in the same year.
But their most important achievement to date was being crowned champions in the Philippines Football League’s inaugural season, beating Global Cebu 4-1 in the final – courtesy of a hat-trick from former Adelaide United winger Iain Ramsay – to complete the double.
.@CeresNegrosFC star Kevin Ingreso: "We will do our best to make every Filipino proud!"#ACL2018 https://t.co/tVgG4Tg37P
— AFC Champions League (@TheAFCCL) January 19, 2018
KEY PLAYERS
Toni Doblas
Journeyman goalkeeper Toni Doblas, a new signing, brings plenty of know-how from the top echelon of club football.
The 37-year-old appeared in the UEFA Champions League for Real Betis – with whom he beat John Aloisi’s Osasuna in the 2005 Copa del Rey final – in the early stages of a career which has also included a stint under Rafael Benitez at Napoli.
Bienvenido Maranon
Top goalscorer in the Philippines Football League last season, the Spaniard will look to carry on the form that saw him net 22 goals in 28 games. At 31, he has plenty of experience in Spain’s lower leagues.
Mike Ott
German-born Mike Ott, a Philippines international, has joined brother Manuel at Ceres-Negros. Still only 22, the midfielder originally moved to Asia with Thai club Angthong after failing to fully break through at 1860 Munich and Nurnberg.
COACH
Ceres-Negros are managed by former Serbia and Montenegro international Risto Vidakovic.
A former defender with Red Star Belgrade, Real Betis and Osasuna, the 49-year-old made the move into coaching in 2006 and has short stints in charge of the likes of Cadiz and Betis B.
Vidakovic was appointed to his current post in July 2016.
Watch Brisbane Roar host Ceres-Negros live on FoxSports from 7:00pm.
Tickets are still available for tonight’s fixture.
