Svay Rieng train in Myanmar, ahead of tonight’s clash with Shan United. Svay rieng FC
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC have reiterated their determination to get the better of Myanmar club Shan United in tonight’s away leg of the AFC Challenge League 2024-2025.
Success in the 5.30pm match will guarantee the club’s advance to the league semifinals, following a comfortable 6-2 score line in the two teams’ previous encounter, at home on March 6.
The Cambodian side is looking to improve their quality when they take on their Burmese rivals at the Thuwunna Stadium, in Yangon.
Despite the home win, coach Pep Munoz warned that the two legs are different games. He emphasised that the team must focus and work even harder to ensure they can secure another win.
“This is a match that we want to win to advance to the semifinals, so we must play well and win this game,” he told a Wednesday press conference.
Shan United coach Ono Hiroki shakes hands with a confident Pep Munoz at a March 12 press conference. Svay Rieng FC
“We are not thinking about the first leg; we must respect our opponent because this is an away game for us. We need to focus and maintain our concentration at all times to perform well. We want to show our level of play and win this match,” he added.
Shan coach Ono Hiroki insisted that his squad is well-prepared for the second leg and emphasised that they would not lose at home.
He instructed his players to forget the 6-2 loss in the first leg and focus on making a strong comeback in the rematch.
“We must forget the result of the first leg and prepare ourselves to perform well for this decisive match. The key is to prepare to score goals. We must not concede at home,” he told the media.
“Our players have worked hard and are focused on this match. I do not want to lose at home,” added the Japanese national.
Home team Shan United train before their match against Svay Rieng. Shan United FC
Munoz acknowledged that the Myanmar team is composed of talented players.
“The local Myanmar players are good and physically strong, and the team also has high-quality foreign players, so we must remain very focused,” he said.
He confirmed that Svay Rieng FC is ready to field a full strength squad, as he wants to showcase their level of play as a representative team from the top league in Cambodia, which he believes has a higher level of play compared to Myanmar.
“The quality of the league in Cambodia has helped elevate the quality of our team’s play. The league in Cambodia is better than the league in Myanmar, so we want to win this match because it is a great opportunity for us to perform well and reach the semifinals,” added the Spaniard.
