Three Star has been drawn in Group A along with Erchim FC of Mongolia and Balkan. As the group winner will advance into the final, every match of the group stage will be crucial for all three teams in the group.
In the contest of league champions of third-tier member associations of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Three Star made it to the final rounds as the Group A winner and Balkan advanced as the Group C winner with a perfect record. Erchim qualified for the finals as the runner-up of Group A despite going down 2-0 against Three Star.
The Patan-based club of Nepal is playing in the President´s Cup for the first time after participating in the first edition of the competition on home ground in 2005. On the occasion, Three Star had crashed out in the semifinals.
Thus, the greatest hurdle in Three Star´s way is the Central Asian side that was also a semifinalist in the 2011 edition. "We will gain advantage if we beat Balkan in the first match. We have already defeated Erchim at home, therefore Erchim won´t be a big threat to us," Three Star coach Pradip Humagain said before the team´s departure for Malaysia.
"I have been following Balkan for a couple of months," said Humagain about Three Star´s new opponent. "I know they are a good side and have made good preparations for the tournament. But if every player performed to their potential we can beat them."
At the pre-match conference on Sunday, Humagain said, "I hope the players will meet our expectations. The weather condition in Melaka is also similar to that of Nepal, thus I am optimistic they will perform the way they do in Nepal."
Three Star captain Santosh Sahukhala, who was also a member of the team that reached the semifinals of the 2005 edition, echoed Humagain. "We have the experience of playing in the semifinals. Thus our aim is to return home with the winner´s trophy," Sahukhala said. "We can beat Balkan if everyone gives their hundred percent."
Even a draw against Balkan would be a satisfactory result for Three Star.
Humagain´s counterpart Kurbanimamedov Rahim said every match was equally important for his side. "None of the six participating teams can be underestimated as all of them have made to the final rounds through qualifiers."
Making an indirect claim that his side will make it to the final, the Balkan coach expressed satisfaction at having avoided Dordoi of Kyrgyzstan, which is playing in the tournament for a record eighth time and has won the title twice.
“Maybe it´s luck that we are not in the same group with Dordoi, which is a very experienced and successful side in this competition," Rahim said on Sunday. "However, I am also confident of my team´s ability. Maybe we will meet Dordoi in the final, which would be an interesting all-Central Asian contest."
"As for Nepal´s Three Star Club, it´s also a pleasure to be in the same group, even though they were absent from this tournament for eight years," Rahim said.
Group B consists of KRL Football Club of Pakistan, Alquds Hilal Club of Palestine and Dordoi of Kyrgyzstan.
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