Liberian striker Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh is set to make his Asian Football Confederation Cup debut for Selangor on Tuesday, Feb. 23, when Selangor takes on the Filipino side, La Salle Football Club, commonly known as Ceres Football Club.
The match will be played at Panaad Stadium and will be the opener for Group E.
Selangor was drawn in Group E along with Singaporean side Tampines Rovers, Bangladeshi Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, and Ceres of the Philippines.
In an interview with The Bush Chicken, the former LISCR and PKNS FC striker revealed his feelings heading into his AFC Cup debut with Selangor.
“Playing in the AFC Cup is another bonus about playing football here in Asia, as I’ve never played in it,†Wleh said. “I know the competition well. Since I came to Malaysia in 2012, I’ve been following it. It has lot of excitement. It’s where the best players compete and it’s where you need to be as a footballer.”
Wleh has been in a good scoring form since his January transfer to Selangor. From four preseason games, a league match and one FA cup game, the 24-year-old has netted five times.
Like the UEFA EUROPA League, the AFC Cup is the second-tier club continental competition in Asia, next to the AFC Champions League. The cup was established in 2004 and has since been won by nine different clubs.
Kuwait SC is the most successful club in the competition’s history, having won three titles. Malaysian 2015 Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim is the current champion after defeating Istiklol in the 2015 final in Tajikistan.
Featured photo courtesy of Patrick Wleh
