Despite reportedly facing a financial crisis, the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces football club (Army) is preparing intensely as they get ready to take on MOI Kampong Dewa at Prince Stadium at 6pm, tomorrow, October 4.
Meanwhile, ISI Dangkor Senchey and Preah Sihanouk’s Life FC will both fancy their chances when they meet this weekend, with neither side recording a win from any of their five matches in this year’s Cambodian Premier League (CPL).
Although MOI Kampong Dewa, once known as the Ministry of Interior Association team, is one of the oldest clubs in the league, Army head coach Phea Sopheaktra believes their current squad has transformed entirely — from players and management structure to on-field techniques.
He described them as a strong team which will other be restrained through vigilance and effective strategies.
He addressed this weekend’s game, during a Friday press conference.
“Kampong Dewa is no longer the old team. They are now a strong and a refreshed squad, with newly assembled Khmer players and foreign imports — all of high quality and considerable height. When it comes to organised play, we might struggle to contain them,” he said.
“Another major strength of Kampong Dewa is their counterattack. We’ve studied their style and noticed that whenever they gain possession, they always push forward. This is the key area we must address — we need a plan to stop their counterattacks, which is crucial for this match,” he added.
In their first six games of the season, Kampong Dewa have collected 7 points, with 2 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses. Ahead of their match against Army, the club announced they are prepared to fight for more points.
They are currently ranked below Army, who remain unbeaten, with 2 wins and 3 draws leaving them sat on 9 points.
Coach Phea Sopheaktra explained that this success comes from building a new squad capable of meeting his tactical demands.
“I can say that this season, Army has made significant progress, especially after we organised a new lineup that allows us to adapt to our tactical needs — playing from the back, creating chances and launching attacks. On the defensive end, we’ve kept the same compact defensive structure in the central zone for two seasons and continue with it this season. I have high expectations that the team will perform well against Kampong Deva,” he said.
ISI will host Life FC at AIA Stadium, with kick-off also coming at 6pm tomorrow. With five losses this season, both sides will be looking to take 3 points for a win and record some CPL points.
