Off to Kompong Thom

The Hun Sen Cup 2011 draw has been made - it's the cup competition that acts as a pre-cursor warm-up to the regular Metfone C-League season - and Phnom Penh Crown will have to spend a week in Kompong Thom for the first round of group matches. They were drawn in Group D and will face three other teams, home side Kompong Thom, Neak Kheav and Siem Reap-based Baksey Chamkrong. The games are due to take place between 7-12 January before the next round of knock-out matches, usually the last sixteen teams, will move to Phnom Penh. Kompong Thom have a new stadium these days on the outskirts of town after their original pitch was turned over for construction. Foreign players are not allowed to play in the Hun Sen Cup, it's for homegrown talent only, so Crown will have to do without their two Nigerian imports, Kingsley Njoku and Odion Obadin. Last season, Crown were beaten 3-2 in the final of the cup by the Army, captained by Crown new boy Khim Borey. The match dates for Crown have been confirmed as: 7 January at 8am versus Neak Khiev aka Blue Dragon (Kompong Cham); 10 January at 4.30pm versus Kompong Thom; 12 January at 2pm versus Baksey Chamkrong (Siem Reap).