Wealthy football club Visakha opted not to send their players to train and compete abroad in preparation for the AFC Cup 2022 group stages – unlike Cambodian Premier League champions Phnom Penh Crown who camped in Malaysia to play warm-up matches and prepare for the competition.

According to Meas Channa – who recently took over as the head coach after the departure of South Korean coach Lee Tae Hoon – Visakha has no plans to play international friendly matches abroad. Instead, the this club has scheduled local friendlies with rival Cambodian Premier League clubs to strengthen their abilities and prepare for the AFC Cup.

Channa expressed his happiness with the improvement of the quality of play among the Visakha team.

“I’m happy that our players are doing a lot better now in terms of how they play. They understand one another well, and they understand what I am adding to the team. They already have the quality. They have caught up quickly, and I’m very happy with their form,” he said.

2021 Hun Sen Cup champions Visakha will play a friendly against Tiffy Army at Prince Stadium at 8:30am on June 11 ahead of their final local game against Boeung Ket on June 18. Immediately afterwards, they will depart for Indonesia, where they will play in the AFC Cup.

Channa is confident that Visakha will be able to compete with the other teams in Group G. They are scheduled to play Kaya FC-Iloilo of the Philippines on June 24 before facing hosts Bali United on the 27th. Their final match will see them go up against Kedah Darul Aman of Malaysia on the 30th.

“As a coach, it doesn’t matter what team we meet on the field. We do not care where they come from, the important thing is winning. As a coach, I am optimistic that we will beat any team we face. Another reason we are also expecting to win is because our form is so much better now. I think we have a chance to demonstrate our strength,” said Channa.