Parepare, April 1, 2025 - PSM Makassar is ready to face a tough challenge against Cong An Hanoi FC in the 1st ACC Shoppe Cup 2025 Semifinal match which will be held at the B.J. Habibie Stadium, Parepare. In the pre-match press conference, PSM coach Bernardo emphasized that their opponents are a strong team that is the favorite to win.
“I think the opposing team is the favorite team to win this competition, as we can see their statistics in five matches in this competition, they confirmed five wins. They have good players and a good coach,” Bernardo said.
However, he also highlighted the different conditions of his team with the opponent, mainly due to the Ramadan and Eid holidays given to PSM players, while Cong An Hanoi continued to train without a break. “We gave our players a holiday a few days ago and they also did Ramadan, while the opposing team did not. In fact, we give Eid holidays, while the opposing team continues to train at Kalegowa Stadium,” he explained.
According to Bernardo, although his team wants to prepare well, the schedule given cannot be changed. “We want to play on schedule to prepare, but this is the schedule given to us for the match. We will do this match as scheduled,” he said.
The Portuguese coach also highlighted the format of the competition which only consists of two legs, home and away, which makes this first match very crucial. “However, it could be game over tomorrow for this competition if a team scores four or five goals in this competition, and only a miracle could reverse the result in the second leg,” he said.
Bernardo also expressed his confusion about the difficulty of changing the schedule in the midst of a big celebration like Eid. “Indeed, we are happy to be able to compete in this stadium, and I think in the last match, the players made a big enough sacrifice to be able to step into the semifinals in this city. However, what I find hard to understand is why is it difficult to change this schedule? Why do we have to play at this inopportune moment? We can compare, because yesterday the players faced the month of Ramadan and the Eid holiday compared to opponents who continued to train,” he complained.
He also hopes that PSM supporters can fill the stadium and provide full support to the team. “I really hope that the supporters will come and fill the stadium, provide great support, and be a big injection of energy for the players,” he said.
Bernardo also emphasized that the competition should consider cultural and religious factors. “This competition should look from a cultural and religious point of view too, it can be seen because it's a holiday. However, whatever it is, we have to compete tomorrow,” he said.
In addition, Bernardo also confirmed that he will not be on the bench tomorrow due to the accumulation of yellow cards that led to a red card. “As you know, I won't be on the bench tomorrow, and this is my first time as a player and coach. I want to say that there must be an explanation for this, where two yellow cards and a red card lead to a coach not doing anything,” he said.
He emphasized that he had done nothing wrong to deserve the punishment. “As I said earlier in the interview, when players do, football is not an opera and we deserve to express our actions. At that time, I did not speak harshly to the referee. I just told the referee that we were short of players on the pitch and it was for a substitution at that time, and the referee gave a yellow card,” he explained.
Reza Arya: We Will Fight Maximally at Home
Meanwhile, PSM Makassar's main goalkeeper, M. Reza Arya Pratama, emphasized his team's readiness to face this semifinal match. He hopes that the full support of the supporters at the B.J. Habibie Stadium can be a boost of enthusiasm for the team.
“Regarding tomorrow's match, of course as players we have to work hard for tomorrow's match, especially since this is a semifinal match at the ASEAN Cup and we are playing home. Moreover, since 20 years ago we have played on Sulawesi soil and are now competing on Sulawesi soil. Of course, we will give our best, and our supporters are expected to come tomorrow because your support is very important and hopefully tomorrow we will be given a positive result,” Reza said.
As a goalkeeper, Reza emphasizes the importance of maintaining defense and achieving maximum results at home. “Of course, in every match we have to play spartan because we play at home. Of course, as players, especially goalkeepers, we have targets and the most important thing is the result. Because in every game, I want a clean sheet, but we don't know the situation on the field,” he explained.
However, he also emphasized that if PSM concedes, the team must be able to reply by scoring goals. “Most importantly, if we concede, we have to enter a goal, and whatever the result, we want to win, especially this is at home. At the very least, we get points at home,” he added.
PSM Makassar hopes to take advantage of playing at home to win before playing the second leg in Vietnam. With high fighting spirit and full support from the supporters, Juku Eja is ready to give their best in this crucial match.
