Male, Feb 12: Albert Roca said he expects nothing short of a stern test when Bengaluru FC take on Maldivian side TC Sports Club in the first leg of the AFC Cup Prelimiry Stage game to be played at the tiol Stadium here on Tuesday.
The Blues arrived in the capital on Monday after becoming the first side to secure a play-off berth in the Indian Super League (ISL) but its Spanish mager said it would count for nothing when they attempt to take an important step to make it to the group stages of a competition Bengaluru has enjoyed relative success in.
"The game against TC Sports Club is going to be a tougher challenge than the one we faced in Bhutan. They have made it to this stage on the back of two good games against the team from Bangladesh. Their confidence, along with being comfortable with the humid weather that we aren't used to, makes the challenge bigger."
The side from Maldives rode on an Atoliy Vlasichev hat-trick at home to get past Bangladeshi side Saif 4-1 on aggregate and book a date with Bengaluru. They will, however, be without first-choice goalkeeper Dmitry Asnin who, with an injured hand, is expected to be out for long. IANS