A disappointing semifinal exit from the 2015 Singapore Cup still lingers on Misagh Bahadoran's mind as his team Global FC aim for the final of this year's edition.
The Philippines club finished fourth last year, going out at the hands of Albirex Niigata (S) in the semifinals -- 3-1 on aggregate -- before losing to Brunei DPMM in the third place playoff.
Global FC face Cambodian representatives Nagaworld FC on Saturday at Jalan Besar Stadium, with head coach Leigh Manson once again relying on his core group of Azkals stars.
A photo posted by Misagh Bahadoran (@misagh_9) on
Key players like Dennis Villanueva, Matthew Hartmann, Daisuki Saito and Misagh must stand up and be counted. But the latter believes that his new teammate, Omid Nazari, could be the surprise player of the tournament.
Omid, is a Swedish-born Asian who plied his trade in Sweden's domestic leagues while representing Iran under Carlos Queiroz on five occasions.
Philippines are keen to add him to their national squad. Omid's five caps for Iran came in friendlies and the West Asian Football Federation Championships, and is eligibility is being assessed by FIFA,
"Omid has good experience, even at the age of 25," Misagh told ESPN FC.
"He played for Malmo FF in the Swedish league along with UEFA Champions League experience. Hopefully he gets to play for the Azkals.
"He could be the player to help us achieve our goal. Our [Global's] target in any competition is to be champions of course, but we must go onto the pitch and play our game."
Misagh is equally keen to maintain his own good form which has seen him receive offers to play across Asia.
With the Singapore Cup presenting the perfect platform to put himself in the shop window, Misagh doesn't rule out making the move to play in the S.League one day.
"After my performances with the national team, especially at the last AFF Suzuki Cup and the World Cup qualifiers, I got a few offers from different Asian countries," he said. "But I chose to stay in the Philippines for family and footballing reasons,"
"Singapore [S.League] has a good standard of football and it is developing stronger every year.
"For example, you see this season, they [the S.League] have [Jermaine] Pennant playing his football in Singapore, so why not [a move for me]?
"Having said that, making the move abroad to play in a different league is not just about what is on the pitch. It involves a whole concept both on and off it. There must be good enough reason to leave the Philippines and play my football overseas."
With Thomas Dooley and the Azkals preparing for their first ever Suzuki Cup as tournament hosts in November, Misagh is taking nothing for granted. He's striving to put in good performances for Global in order to keep his spot with the national team.
He added: "Philippines are hosting the Suzuki Cup this year and we want to win for the fans. But before I think ahead to the national team, I must ensure my performances for my club are consistent."
"Winning the Singapore Cup will definitely help to add a positive to Filipino football as we prepare for the Suzuki Cup.
Should Misagh's Global team get past Nagaworld, a quarterfinal tie against ex-Liverpool star Pennant's Tampines Rovers is in prospect. The biggest motivation will be the possibility of facing their United Football League arch rivals Ceres La Salle in the final four.