Players from Svay Rieng and Shan United shake hands as their coaches look on, during a February 4 press conference. CPL
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng are set to take on Myanmar's Shan United at the National Olympic Stadium tonight at 7.30pm (Wednesday). The match will be the final Group A game of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup 2024/2025.
Unfortunately, poor performances mean both sides have already been eliminated from the tournament. Shan has lost all four of its matches without earning a single point, while Svay Rieng has won one, drawn one and lost two, placing them fifth in the group with four points.
Currently, BG Pathum United (Thailand) leads Group A with eight points, followed by Terengganu FC (Malaysia) and PSM Makassar FC (Indonesia), both with seven points. Dong A Thanh Hoa (Vietnam) has six points. These four will compete for the top two spots in tonight’s decisive matches, with BG Pathum facing Terengganu and PSM Makassar taking on Dong A Thanh Hoa.
Despite being eliminated, Svay Rieng head coach Pep Munoz remains determined to win against Shan United. He has set a goal for his team to secure all three points in this final match, despite his talented physio team being kept busy with a slew of injuries to the squad.
“This is an important match and our last in the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup. We want to showcase our team’s quality and secure three points,” he told a February 4 press conference.
The Svay Rieng squad train at the National Olympic Stadium, as they prepare to take on Shan United. CPL
Veteran striker Prak Mony Udom echoed his sentiment.
“Even though we no longer have a chance to advance, we must try to win these three points to maintain a respectable ranking in the group. We will give our best effort to uphold our performance standards, just as we have since the beginning of the tournament,” he said.
On the other side, Shan head coach Ono Hiroki expressed concerns about his team’s ability to compete against Svay Rieng, acknowledging that if they failed to contain their attacking style, they could concede multiple goals.
“This will be a tough match because Svay Rieng has strong attackers, especially their Brazilian players and some talented local players. If we don’t work hard, we could concede many goals,” he explained.
Shan United defender Nanda Kyaw also praised Svay Rieng’s quality.
Shan United train at the National Olympic Stadium, ahead of tonight’s match with Svay Rieng. CPL
“Svay Rieng has many skilled players, so this will be a great match. We will do our best and are fully prepared for both defence and attack,” he said.
Heading into tonight’s game, Munoz revealed that eight of his key players are injured. This includes star Brazilian forward Pablo Agusto and Japanese defender Ryo Fuji, both of whom are uncertain to play due to lingering injuries.
In addition, Narong Kakada, who has shown excellent recent form, has suffered an ACL tear, ruling him out. Another six squad members are not registered for the tournament, further limiting Svay Rieng’s options.
“For this match, we might have 13 to 14 players unavailable, with eight injured and six unregistered. We hope that those who do play will give 100% effort to secure a victory,” added Munoz.
