Sarkisyan spoke to the-afc.com on the phone after the draw for the AFC Cup quarter-final stage here on Monday.

“We don’t know much about the Hong Kong team,” said Sarkisyan, who has been at the helm of the Fergana side since 1987, which makes him one of the longest serving coaches with the same club around the world. “But that is not an insurmountable problem.”

Sarkisyan said Neftchi would prepare for the quarter-finals through their regular league matches and would depend on domestic players.

“We have not planned any special training camp for the AFC Cup quarter-finals and will prepare through our Uzbekistan League games. I will rely on the local players and not foreigners.”

Sarkisyan said his team would benefit from the return of former Uzbekistan international defender Vladimir Radkevich from Russian club Ural.

“Radkevich will come in handy against South China,” said the Neftchi loyalist.

Neftchi were forced to dig in for a 3-1 penalties win against Al Maged of Syria while South China trounced Singapore’s Home United 4-0 in the Round of 16.