MMC, who hammered Svarieng FC of Cambodia 6-3 in the opener, ensured a ticket to the tournament proper after Erchim FC of Mongolia defeated the Cambodian club 3-1 on Sunday. The result saw both MMC and Erchim earn berths for the finals. Monday’s match between MMC and Erchim will merely decide the Group leaders.

The clash however will not be easy for either side. With MMC displaying a fast-paced game, Erchim’s counter attacking game could stun the Nepali league champions. MMC’s new coach Nabin Neupane has a simple plan for Monday: stick to the basics.

 “They believe in counter atttack while keeping tight their defense,” said Neupane. “But their way of playing will have no bearing on our own game plan. We will stick to our natural game and look to score as early as possible.”

Erchim coach D Batnasan was also confident of his team’s strength.  “Our strength is defense and we will pounce on the chances to score on counter attack,” said Batnasan. Erchim scored twice on counter move against Svarieng FC. However, the home crowd and the chilling temperature could go against MMC. “Playing in extreme cold temperature will be a great disadvantage for us,” said Neupane.