Phnom Penh Crown technical director Sam Schweingruber said yesterday that his side are well prepared and feeling confident ahead of their AFC Cup playoff against Singapore’s Home United today.

Schweingruber, who will take charge for Crown’s run in the tournament as Ukrainian head coach Oleg Starynskyi doesn’t hold an “A” coaching licence, told a press conference yesterday: “We are very happy and we hope our week-long training camp at the football complex in Bati district, Takeo province, will help give us a winning edge. We spent a long time training together.”

The first leg of the home-and-away playoff kicks off at Crown’s RSN Stadium at 6pm, with the eventual winners after the second leg on February 7 entering Asia’s secondary club competition in Group H with Myanmar’s Yadanarbon and Vietnam’s Than Quang Ninh.

Laos’s Lanexang United were to be in the group but withdrew after the collapse of their league, FourFourTwo magazine reported. The AFC is yet to say who will take their place. Home United finished fourth in the S League and have reached the AFC Cup seven times. Crown ended the Metfone C-League season in fifth. This is the first time a Cambodian side is competing in the tournament.