The Red Machines will have Egyptian midfielder Abdelhamid Shabana available again after missing out the last AFC Cup group stage game against Maldives’ New Radiant due to injury and the I-League clash with Salgaocar due to suspension. Winger Bineesh Balan, who hasn’t trained for a month, will also be assessed.
Vissai Ninh Binh will have home advantage in the one-legged round of 16 tie but the club has been hit heavily by a match-fixing scandal with nine players of the first-team squad under investigation and thus unavailable to play. As a result they pulled out from the country’s domestic league, the V-League, but were allowed to continue in the AFC Cup.
The 2013 Vietnam Cup winners topped their group and were unbeaten with 16 points. They won 4-1 away at Myanmar’s Yangon United on matchday six despite missing those nine players. But due to their withdrawal from the V-League several players have the left club.
Churchill Brothers had finished runners-up in Group E behind Indonesia’s Persipura Jayapura. They made it through to the knockouts after winning 2-1 away at Maldives’ New Radiant on matchday six.
Only four times have Indian clubs made it to the AFC Cup quarter-finals – East Bengal (2004, 2013), Mahindra United (2007) and Dempo (2008) – and Churchill Brothers have their work cut out as they have to win away from home. Mariano Dias’ side will leave for Vietnam on May 11.
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