Philippine minnows stun Brisbane

SYDNEY, Jan 24, (AFP): ALeague side Brisbane Roar was slammed as the “laughing stock of Asia” and “truly embarrassing” Wednesday after a shock loss to Philippine minnows Ceres Negros in an AFC Champions League qualifier.

Roar, the fancied side, suffered further embarrassment when some players’ shirt numbers peeled off during the game in Brisbane late Tuesday. The club lost the game 3-2, watched by just over 1,000 fans.

Brisbane are currently midway through the A-league season, and languishing in eighth place out of 10 teams, while Ceres Negros are undergoing pre-season training.

Under-pressure Roar coach John Aloisi, a former Socceroos striker, refused to resign after the match and blamed his players for their attitudes.

“I won’t walk away -- I don’t give up,” Brisbane’s Courier Mail quoted Aloisi as saying.

“Obviously they (the Roar players) underestimated them -- I know I didn’t. Even when we went 1-0 up the players must have thought they were going to cruise through that game.”

The game turned farcical in the second half when Roar were reduced to 10 men after French sub Eric Bautheac had to wait on the sidelines for several minutes after his number, 22, peeled off the back of his shirt.

Bautheac eventually returned to the field with a No.77 shirt with tape to make it look like a No.22.

In a furious rant on Fox Sports, former Socceroos and Manchester United goalkeeper Mark Bosnich ripped into the team and accused them of not respecting the competition or their opponents.