Football is coming home to Cambodia

Phnom Penh Crown - ready to do battle for Cambodia

Not since the 1950s and 1960s has Cambodia been at the center of Asian regional football. That is just about to change. Next week the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President’s Cup is coming to Cambodia and Phnom Penh for the first time. This is the champions cup competed for by twelve countries, regarded as ‘emerging nations’ by the AFC and the most prestigious international club competition ever to be hosted in Cambodia.

The 2011 AFC President’s Cup has been split into three qualifying groups – Group A in Cambodia, Group B in Myanmar and Group C in Nepal. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the six-team finals to be played at a venue to be announced at a later date. The winners of the AFC President’s Cup will receive the trophy and prize money of USD50,000.

The 4 teams taking part in Group A in Phnom Penh are the host club, Phnom Penh Crown Football Club, champions of the Cambodian League in 2010. They will meet the national league champions of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kyrgyzstan. Don Bosco Sports Club from Negombo won the Sri Lankan Dialog Champions League to qualify. The Bangladesh champions are Abahani Limited from Dhaka, while Neftchi of the Kochkor-Ata region are the champions of Kyrgyzstan.

The first match in the competition will begin at 1.30pm on Saturday 21st May when Neftchi play Abahani. At 4pm on the same day, Phnom Penh Crown will meet Don Bosco. Two games will also take place on Monday 23rd May and Wednesday 25th May. All the games are being played at the National Sports Complex - Olympic Stadium and all three of the Phnom Penh Crown FC matches begin at 4pm.

The Group A competition is being jointly hosted by the Football Federation of Cambodia and the Phnom Penh Crown Football Club, who have shown unprecedented co-operation to stage this first-ever international club championship event. The Football Federation of Cambodia are responsible for the technical aspects of the whole competition, while Phnom Penh Crown are responsible for promotion and media activities, the competing team’s accommodation and transport, as well as training facilities. The costs of the tournament have been supported by sponsors and by a donation from the Asian Football Confederation.

The Phnom Penh Crown matches will be shown live on the Bayon TV1 and TVK television channels. Admission tickets to the Olympic Stadium are priced at 4,000 Riels for the covered seating grandstand and 1,000 Riels for the open seating.
21 May: 1.30pm Neftchi (KGZ) v Abahani (BAN): 4pm PPCFC (CAM) v Don Bosco (SRI)
23 May: 1.30pm Don Bosco (SRI) v Neftchi (KGZ): 4pm Abahani (BAN) v PPCFC (CAM)
25 May: 1.30pm Abahani (BAN) v Don Bosco (SRI): 4pm PPCFC (CAM) v Neftchi (KGZ)

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