Cambodia are to play Saudi Arabia in an international friendly in Dubai on January 14 as the teams focus on coveted international and continental targets over the next two months.

While Saudi Arabia resume Asian World Cup qualification with key contests against Thailand in Bangkok and a home tie against Iraq at the end of March, Cambodian sights are set firmly on the final round of qualifying for the Asian Cup, which involves 24 teams battling for 12 places at the tournament, to be held in the United Arab Emirates.

The draw for the six groups for 2019 AFC Asian Cup third-round qualifying, which will be played from March 28 this year to March 27, 2018, will take place on January 23. The top two teams from each group will join the 12 nations that qualified automatically.

Both teams have made it clear that the friendly will be taken seriously as preparation for the series of crucial matches.

Saudi Arabia edged Thailand 1-0 at home in September in the group stage of World Cup qualifying in September, before going on to hold Australia 2-2 a month later, also in Jeddah.

Warriors’ coach Lee Tae Hoon has impressed upon his team the need to keep focus when they take to the pitch aiming to get a positive result against a strong side like Saudi Arabia.