By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr.

Ceres-Negros FC faces their final 2017 AFC Cup group stage match tonight at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore against Tampines Rovers FC. The Negrense club must win in order to secure qualification into the next round, the Zonal semifinals.
The top two in the group advance.
Ceres currently sits atop Group G, tied on eight points with Vietnamese outfit Hà Nội FC, ahead on goal difference. Rovers follows with six points and Malaysian club Felda United sits in fourth with five points.
Recently-signed defender Simone Rota is expected to fill in for the suspended Manuel Herrera.
“It will be very hard,” Rota said. “In our group, every team can advance to the next round, everybody has to win.”
“We have to play smart and strong, and defend strong,” he added.
The defender, who recently returned following an operation on his ACL, expressed his confidence in the club’s chances.
“We are a strong team and we showed that we can do that,” Rota said. “It depends on us.”
Shortly before the Ceres match, Hà Nội and Felda will meet at the Mỹ Đình National Stadium in Vietnam.
The Ceres-Rovers match will air live on Fox Sports 3./WDJ