Poida, who was in charge of Amicale’s domestic rivals Tafea FC during the group stage, believes tomorrows capacity crowd of 9,000 could make or break the match for Amicale.
“When the crowd gets behind Amicale it can lift them higher in their intensity and give them extra belief.
“But it will be very tough even with home advantage as Auckland City are a very strong team,” he says.
But Poida believes Amicale have a big chance particularly given the form of one player Dominique Fred.
“When he has the space and gets the ball early, Fred is a very dangerous player and he will be one to watch.
“Esava Naqaleca is another key player. He’s very good at keeping the ball and his passing is very good,” he says.
Poida is very much the expert on Amicale’s chances having turned out for Tafea in an OFC Champions League final in 2001.
It’s a match that brings back mixed feelings for the up-and-coming coach.
“We dominated that match with Wollongong Wolves and we’re trailing 1-0 but on top.
“I was playing left midfield that day and our right back got into a good position but instead of crossing he took an extra touch.
“I stopped my run to stay onside but the flag stayed down anyway and the cross arrived and the goalkeeper – who was a very big guy – got an extra yard and I didn’t score.
“It was a missed opportunity for Tafea FC and for Vanuatu and it is a match that always leaves me sad,” he says.
It was a full ten years before a Vanuatu club would appear in another OFC Champions League final when Amicale met Auckland City FC.
Only three players from the Amicale class of 2011 remain with the club – Nelson Sale, Jack Wetney and Fenedy Masauvakolo.
“Nelson is a very important player for Amicale he is playing very well for the club. He was outstanding in Fiji.
“Amicale is a team that relies on individual talent and can be very dangerous in wide areas,” he says.
“I’m going for a draw or an Amicale win tomorrow but everything will be decided in Auckland.”
One player under an injury cloud for the home side is Serbian defender Marko Dordevic.
Dordevic, substituted in the 0-0 draw with Ba, could be a big loss for Amicale.
“He is a dangerous player in the air and Amicale has a very strong defence. One player who could be step in is Ilaitia Tuilau.
“Ilaitia is a good player but maybe not the same as Marko. Tomorrow will be a tough game,” he says.
Backing up Poida’s view is Auckland City’s superior record in the head-to-head with Amicale over five matches, the New Zealanders having won three to Amicale’s two.
Poida warns Amicale’s run of consecutive wins over their rivals is not a definitive indication of how the match may run.
“Auckland City FC will play very differently to how they played in Lautoka last month.
“They are a different challenge over two legs and even a draw tomorrow for Amicale could mean an even tougher game in New Zealand.
“In Lautoka, Auckland City FC created a lot of chances, maybe more than Amicale did, but they didn’t score a goal,” he says.
The match kicks off at 2pm VANT/ 3pm NZST on Saturday 10 May with live streaming coverage available at the official OFC YouTube channel.
Ends