Ceres FC meets Tianjin Quanjian today

By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr.

Ceres-Negros FC is scheduled to play their 2018 AFC Champions League play-off round match against Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian FC today, January 30, at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium; kickoff time is at 3:30 p.m.

The trip to China has not been an easy one for the Negrense club, who were initially unable to secure visas from the Chinese embassy in Manila. Their documents were eventually released yesterday at 2:45 p.m., a few hours before their 5:45 p.m. flight to Hong Kong, where they later transferred to Tianjin, which is located in the northeastern portion of China.

Ceres became the first Philippine club to make it this far in the AFC Champions League qualifying rounds, after defeating Myanmar National League champions Shan United in the first preliminary round and A-League club Brisbane Roar in the second.

If Ceres is successful and makes it into the group stage, they will be drawn into Group E with 2017 K-League champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC; 2016-2017 Hong Kong Premier League champions Kitchee SC; along with the winner of another play-off match, either Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol and Thailand’s Muangthong United FC./JSG, WDJ