Theatre of truth

Crown coach David Booth (left) will be in the Central Stadium sunken dug-out for the last time tonight

Phnom Penh Crown face the host nation's favourite sons, FC Istiklol, tonight under floodlights at the Central Stadium, and with a big point to prove. An 8-goal thrashing against Dordoi two nights ago will have given the Crown players nightmares, and if it didn't, it should've. The performance of the team was below an acceptable standard at this level of competition. The clubs in the AFC President's Cup are champions of their respective countries for a reason, they are the cream of the emerging nations and if Cambodia wants to stand toe to toe with them, its players need to step up to the plate. Professionalism is not just a long word, it's a state of mind and attitude to the task in hand. If you don't adopt a professional mindset then you will fail, because every one of the other teams in this competition are treating it as if their lives depend on it. Dordoi came at Crown from the first whistle and we wilted, especially as the game wore on. Tonight, we will face a similar barrage from Istiklol, who will be roared on by a large partisan crowd. They need a point but they will be going for the jugular right from the off. The Crown players know it and they must deal with it. Coach David Booth has made changes to his line-up for what he has said, will be his final game in charge of the team. He will not want to bow out without a performance that is passionate, hard-working and honest. The players owe him that.

All of the AFC President's Cup matches are being played at the Dushanbe Central Stadium, the theatre of dreams for Tajik football since it was built in 1956 during the Soviet-era. While league matches are routinely held in other stadiums – Aviator, Polytechnic and Spartak – the big matches are reserved for the 20,000-seater Central Stadium. Such is the landmark’s aura that even during devastating civil war from 1992 until 1997 the stadium was used for football matches, providing moments of major respite to the sports-loving populace. Some of Tajikistan’s unforgettable football victories have taken place at the Central. Fans fondly remember the 4-0 defeat of neighbours Uzbekistan in an AFC Asian Cup qualifier in 1996. It was here the popular Central Asian Games, filled with pomp and pageantry, were held in 2003. And the Tajiks will not forget the goalless draw against Bahrain in FIFA World Cup 2006 qualifying action in 2004. The Central has undergone major renovation in recent years and continues to be the main address of Tajik sports.

The main stand and VIP area of the Central Stadium

The seats opposite the main stand at the Central Stadium

The electronic scoreboard at Central Stadium

Some of the Crown players in the renovated dressing rooms at Central Stadium

Virtual national team

The Istiklol starting line-up that defeated Dordoi 2-0 earlier this week

Phnom Penh Crown's opponents tomorrow night, FC Istiklol, are relative new boys on the block when it comes to Tajikistan football. They were formed in 2007 and captured the Tajik League title in 2010 and 2011, disrupting the virtual monopoly of seven-times champions Regar-TadAZ, who had also won the AFC President's Cup on three occasions. Istiklol's Serbian coach Nikola Kavazovic (he has his own website, here) arrived in April and during his six months in Tajikistan he's also taken temporary charge of the Tajik national team, guiding them to a 2-1 win over Qatar. Of that squad, nine of the eleven Istiklol players who defeated Dordoi in their AFC President's Cup opener this week, winning 2-0, were included. Effectively, Istiklol are the country's national team. The only non-Tajik player in their starting line-up was Russian journeyman Aleksandr Kudriashov. Their other foreign player is Tajik-born German Alexander Frank who arrived via Uzbek football. Goalkeeper Alisher Tuychiev emerged as the hero of the hour with a penalty save and some fine stops in the win over Dordoi, even though they lost defender Sohib Savankulov to a red card. A goal in each half from Davronjon Ergashev and Makhmadali Sadykov was enough to grab the result they'd wanted against their next-door neighbours from Kyrgyzstan. They need a point from tomorrow's game against Crown to confirm their place in the final on 30 September. Meanwhile Dordoi will have their fingers and toes crossed that Crown can cause an upset and pull off an unlikely success, just 48 hours after Dordoi handed an 8-0 thrashing to the Cambodian club.

Believe in yourselves

PPCFC line-up for an impromptu group photo. Standing LtoR: Frimpong, Sothy, Lika, Vanthan, Sovan, H Pheng, Rady, Dara, Tiny, Sovanna. Front LtoR: S Pheng, Chaya, Suhana, Makara, Seiha, Ary, Borey.

Head coach David Booth left the Phnom Penh Crown players in no doubt as to the task that lies ahead of them in a team meeting held before their evening training session under floodlights at the Central Stadium tonight. "Dordoi may have a height and strength advantage against you, but we can win. Go out with a positive mental attitude. We are faster, quicker, fitter and we play better football. We have nothing to fear. We can win. Believe in yourselves." The excellent playing surface and top quality floodlights were a welcome bonus compared to facilities back home, as the Crown squad were put through their paces on the pitch where they will meet Dordoi in tomorrow's opening AFC President's Cup Group A tie for the Cambodian team. David Booth spent nearly an hour on tactical play with his squad in addition to the usual ball work, sprinting and stretching, so the players could get used to the surface and playing under the lights. The floodlights at the Central Stadium have been upgraded at considerable cost as well as additional dressing rooms added as the Tajikistan football federation pulled out all the stops in order to host this year's competition final. What we've seen so far is a credit to them.

Khim Borey gets ready for his training session at the Central Stadium

Sok Sovan and teammates stretching

Head coach David Booth oversees training

The Crown squad reach for the sky

David Booth surveying his squad under lights at Central Stadium

The Crown players show their coach due respect

A final few words to the squad as the training session ends

The Crown playing team pose before training commences at the Central Stadium - click to enlarge all photos

Tough luck on Crown

Action from today's draw in Tajikistan

Holy crapola. Phnom Penh Crown got the draw we least wanted for the group stage of the finals of the AFC President's Cup. It took an email to the Tajikistan FA to find out the draw, which they made a few hours ago at a plush hotel in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe. Not only did we pair up with the two toughest teams left in the final stage, namely Dordoi (two times winners and six times finalists of the President's Cup) but we get to play the host team, Istiklol in the final match of the group stage, which could well be the decider to see who goes through to the cup final two days later.
The Group A matches will take place in Dushanbe as follows:
Mon 24 Sept Dordoi v Istiklol - 4pm
Wed 26 Sept PPCFC v Dordoi - 7pm
Fri 28 Sept Istiklol v PPCFC - 7pm
Sun 30 Sept AFC President's Cup Final - 7pm.
In Group B of the draw, Chinese Taipei's Taiwan Power, the current holders after they defeated Phnom Penh Crown 3-2 in last season's final, will meet Al-Ammari from Palestine and Khan Research Laboratories from Pakistan.

With bated breath

I am waiting patiently for the draw for the final stage of the AFC President's Cup which was made an hour ago in Tajikistan. Maybe the telephone lines and internet connections are piss poor. Phnom Penh Crown have made it through to the final stage for the second year running and wait eagerly to see who they will face in the three-team group stage, from which the winner will go onto the final itself, to be played on 30 September in Dushanbe. This was how the AFC website reviewed the draw yesterday:
The teams who have battled their way to the climactic stage of the 2012 AFC President's Cup will learn their initial opponents when the draw finals takes place in Dushanbe on Tuesday.
Six of the best club sides from the AFC's 'emerging nations' are in the pot for the draw, which will see the teams divided into two groups of three with the top two battling it out for the prestigious silverware in the September 30 final.
Host club Istikol will be looking to continue Tajikistan's proud record in the tournament with the clubs Central Asian republic having contested the trophy four occasions, with Regar TadAZ winning in 2005, 2008 and 2009 and Vaksh finishing runners-up in 2006.
Tajikistan's record in the competition is impressive but the real President's Cup powerhouse is six-time finalists Dordoi, winners in 2006 and 2007 and runners-up in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and the Kyrgyzstan giants are also in Tuesday draw along with defending champions Taiwan Power Company and last year's beaten finalists Phnom Penh Crown.
Also in the fray are Pakistan's KRL (Khan Research Laboratories), who are taking part in the AFC President's Cup for the second time after being knocked out in the qualifying stage in 2010, and Al Amma'ri Youth, Palestine's champions who are making their debut in AFC competition.
The draw for the eighth edition of the AFC President's Cup takes place at 1100am local time at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dushanbe.