Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng have not allowed their spirits to be dampened by a 2–1 defeat by Turkmenistan’s FK Arkadag in the final of the AFC Challenge League on May 10. Instead, they are determined to set aside the pain and refocus on retaining the Samdech Hun Sen Cup.

Svay Rieng will host Boeung Ket at Svay Rieng Stadium tonight at 6pm for the second leg of the semi-finals. This is a crucial match, as both teams are competing for a spot in the final, where they will face Phnom Penh Crown, who eliminated NagaWorld in their own semi-finals.

Going into the second leg, Svay Rieng holds an advantage, having won the first leg 1–0 on April 23 at Boeung Ket’s home ground. The winning goal, from defender Chou Sinti, came in the 9th minute.

Svay Rieng head coach Pep Munoz expressed is determination to lead the team into the final. On Tuesday night, he posted a photo of the cup to his social media.

“The Samdech Hun Sen Cup returns tomorrow (this Wednesday), and it’s for the championship title,” read the caption.

Be Makara, secretary-general of Boeung Ket, rallied his team during training on Tuesday. He urged the coaching staff and players to forget the 1–0 defeat in the first leg and to raise their spirits, focusing their energy to claim victory in the second leg — particularly as Svay Rieng may be feeling down and drained after their recent loss to FK Arkadag.

“Sometimes thinking about a loss can affect our morale and put us under pressure. Their players are also suffering from injuries, and their energy is below ours — so we must seize that opportunity and fight for the win,” he said.

“We all must tell ourselves we don’t want to play in the third-place match — we want to play in the final. We want to compete for the title, not for third or fourth place. So we all have to give our best — for our own pride, for our families, for our wives and children and for the honour of our club,” he added.