Thai giants Buriram United will be in town on Wednesday for a friendly against six-time league champs Phnom Penh Crown at the RSN Stadium as part of a pre-season tour of the region. The game is set to kick off at 6pm.

Fresh from their Toyota Mekong Club Championship triumph over Laos side Lanexang United, Buriram, five-time winners of the Thai Premier League, will be keen on maintaining their good pre-season form, having beaten Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim 1-0 on Saturday.

Both Buriram and Crown are seeking to recapture league success after disappointing 2016 campaigns in which Buriram finished fourth, while Crown came fifth in the MCL.

A posting on Crown’s Facebook page notes the presence of Brazilian trio, Diogo, Kanu and Rogerinho along with South Korean Ko Seul-ki in the Buriram squad, which also boasts Thailand national team stars like captain Suchao, Jakkaphan, Narubadin, Koravit, Anawin and gaolkeeper Siwarak.

Serbian Ranko Popovic, who took over as head coach from Afshin Ghotbi in late August last year, has since won the Thai League Cup and the Mekong Club Championship.

Apart from its significance to both sides, the friendly also has a charitable element, with the proceeds from the match going to Football For Life, an NGO helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds get regular football training.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the prestigious Hun Sen Cup opens in various provincial venues on Wednesday. The tournament runs until October 1.

After the group phases in multiple provincial centres, the quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be played in Phnom Penh.

Metfone C-League sides join the fray in the third round in May, with the bottom four sides from last season, Asia Europe United, CMAC, Western and Police, entering. The rest of the top flight comes into the tournament in the fourth round.