Kashiwa Reysol coach Nelsinho Baptista is relishing the chance of taking on his old club Santos in Wednesday's FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.

Neymar: Will be in action for Santos

The 61-year-old Brazilian comes up against a side he has represented both as a player and as coach in the last four, which Kashiwa reached after defeating Auckland City 2-0 in their first game of the tournament before seeing off Monterrey on penalties last time out.

The entry of South American giants Santos to the competition represents another step up in class for the J.League champions, but Baptista is confident his players will give their all at Toyota Stadium.

"All this is very new and a new environment for us," Baptista said on fifa.com. "For my young players in particular, it's the first time they've played international opponents, and now we'll face Santos.

"Santos is a top team with great individual talent, and we'll try and reply as a team.

"I have affection toward Santos from the past, but now I'm at Kashiwa Reysol and I really want us to play a great game against them."

Like Kashiwa, Santos are fellow Club World Cup debutants, booking their place courtesy of their Copa Libertadores triumph earlier this year.

Rising Brazilian star Neymar is key to Santos' hopes, the 19-year-old scoring six goals on their way to their Copa Libertadores win, including one in the final against Penarol, but his team-mate Borges is staying cautious on Santos' hopes against the fast-emerging Japanese outfit.

"I've watched both Kashiwa Reysol's games, where they showed they have real quality," Borges said on fifa.com. "We obviously can't afford any mistakes if we're to make it to the final."