CPL FIXTURES SCHEDULE

Games played at Olympic Stadium

Saturday May 9

• Naga Corp v Phnom Penh Crown 2:00pm
• National Defence v Preah Khan Reach 3:45pm

Sunday May 10

• Spark FC v Build Bright University 2:00pm
• Phuchoung Neak v Khemera Keila 3:45pm

Wednesday May 13

• Phnom Penh Crown v National Defence

  3:00pm

SATURDAY'S Cambodian Premier League (CPL) fixtures see a titanic clash between league heavyweights Naga Corp and Phnom Penh Crown. Naga will be determined to record their first win of the season after a disappointing 2-2 draw with newly-promoted Spark FC last Sunday, and also avenge their defeat to Crown in the 2009 Samdech Hun Sen Cup final March 28.

Phnom Penh Crown are the reigning league champions and kept a clean sheet throughout their entire triumphant domestic cup campaign. Their team must also be brimming with confidence after upsetting Young Lions 2-0 Monday at the Jurong West Sports Complex in Singapore in the first round of the 2009 Singapore Cup. Crown's Cameroonian striker Jean Roger Lappe Lappe netted twice to lift his side past the Singapore team that came fourth in last year's competition.

Crown manager Makara Be told the Post Thursday that he was "very pleased" with his team's performance. "Singapore teams play at a very high standard and are well organised," he said. "So this is a good result for us, and good for [the profile of] Cambodian Premier League football."

Crown now progress through to the quarterfinals of the single elimination tournament, where they will face Thai club Bangkok Glass in August.  

Saturday's second fixture sees National Defence Ministry (MND) face Preah Khan Reach. This is MND's first match of the 2009 season after their opening day game against Crown was cancelled to allow the title-holders to travel to Singapore. With five key players suspended from the squad for two seasons due to allegations of match fixing, MND may struggle to compete in the ever-increasing standard of the CPL.