Reigning champions Boeung Ket Angkor will be eager to make the most out of Saturday’s Metfone C League tie against relative lightweights Western Phnom Penh to bolster their self assurance ahead of their AFC Cup clash with Myanmar’s Magwe FC at home next week.

Having crashed to a 0-2 defeat at the hands of visiting Global FC from the Philippines a few days ago, coach John McGlynn’s side will be under increasing pressure for a positive turnaround.

There couldn’t be a better setting than the twilight fixture against Western at the Olympic Stadium to build on team morale and also reset their domestic priorities after a somewhat shaky beginning to the defence of the league title they won last season.

After eking out a 2-2 draw with PKR Svay Rieng on the back of Khun Laboravy’s injury-time equaliser, Boeung Ket were squarely beaten 0-3 by the Army outfit. However, last week they broke through for their first League win at the expense of Cambodian Tiger 3-1, justifying the style change that McGlynn had brought in.

In other fixtures, National Police,who saw their winning hopes fade away in the face of a late Phnom Penh Crown rally in that 2-2 draw, face Cambodian Mines Action Center while Crown will host Kirivong Sok Sen Chey.

But the stand-out game of the week will be at the Olympic Stadium, kicking off at 6pm, between two-time league champions Nagaworld and last season’s runners-up Ministry of National Defence, both teams taking the pitch against the backdrop of easy last -outing wins.

Nagaworld were all over CMAC in their 3-0 cruise while the strong component of North Korean Choe Myong-ho’s striking potential was there to be seen when the Armymen bounced back from a goal down to trounce Asia Europe United.

Apart from a destructive brace against Boeung Ket, Choe struck AEU hard the following week and he continues to inspire the side, a critical factor that the casino-backed side will have to contend with.

In Sunday’s other matches, AEU will take on Cambodian Tiger while newcomers Electricite du Cambodge and PKR Svay Rieng will fight it out at the Svay Rieng Stadium.

FIXTURES

Saturday

Boeung Ket Angkor vs Western Phnom Penh, Olympic Stadium, 6pm

National Police vs CMAC, Army Stadium, 6pm

Phnom Penh Crown vs Kirivong Sok Seny Chey, RSN Stadium, 6pm

Sunday

Nagaworld vs Ministry of National Defence, Olympic Stadium, 6pm

AEU vs Cambodian Tiger, Army Stadium, 6pm

EDC vs PKR Svay Rieng, Svay Rieng Stadium, 6pm