Hougang United coach Salim Moin wants his side to prove that they have turned the corner when they host Philippines' Global FC in the preliminary round of the RHB Singapore Cup at the Hougang Stadium on Wednesday.
Following an insipid start to the 2015 Great Eastern Yeo's S.League season that saw them go their first 10 games without victory, the Cheetahs finally got off the mark last Tuesday when they recorded a 1-0 win over Geylang International.
With the S.League set for a break until July, Hougang have one final assignment before they will be able to enjoy a much-needed rest -- Wednesday's cup tie against the reigning United Football League champions.
While his charges have been far from being at their best so far this year, Salim is confident they can build on last week's triumph against the Eagles and book their spot in the quarterfinals. "I always had belief in my players and I think we deserved to finally get our first win last week," he told ESPN FC.
"The team showed good organisation. They communicated well, and it was always about retaining that self-belief. Now we turn our attention to the Singapore Cup, which is a different ball game as it's a knockout tournament.
"We may have home advantage but Global will also have plenty of fans supporting them here in Singapore. Overall, I believe my players will rise to the occasion."
Unlike some of the other foreign invited teams this season, Global will not be an unknown quantity as this is their third successive appearance in the competition.
Having also had the chance to watch their upcoming opponents earlier this year in the AFC Cup, Salim is aware of the threats they will pose.
"I watched Global a couple of times in the AFC Cup, including their game against Pahang," the ex-Singapore international said. "They have a few good foreigners and we will need to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses.
"I'm expecting a good fight but we will play the same formation as we did against Geylang. We'll be good enough to get the win."
Meanwhile, Global will be hoping they can avoid a repeat of 2014, when they were hammered 7-0 by Brunei DPMM FC in what proved to be an embarrassing first round exit.
However, coach Leigh Manson does have a formidable squad at his disposal, littered with Philippines internationals and experienced foreigners. Captain Misagh Bahadoran, striker Mark Hartmann and defenders Amani Aguinaldo and Daisuke Sato were all part of the Azkals side that reached the semifinals of last year's AFF Suzuki Cup.
In addition, Global recently welcomed back Jason de Jong, a 25-year-old midfield general with over 50 Philippines caps.
Hougang United Probable Lineup: Ahmadulhaq Che Omar, Faizal Amir, Tengku Mushadad, Renshi Yamaguchi, Lau Meng Meng, Nurhilmi Jasni, Fairoz Hasan, Shunsuke Nakatake, Fareez Farhan, Muhaymin Salim, Chupe.
Global FC Probable Lineup: Patrick Deyto, Jerry Barbaso, Amani Aguinaldo, Masaki Yanagawa, Daisuke Sato, Jason de Jong, Yu Hoshide, Misagh Bahadoran, Mark Hartmann, Matthew Hartmann, Norio Suzuki.