Weekend QFs

Will Rithisen be celebrating another giant-killing act this weekend?

Football takes precedence this coming weekend with 4 games in 2 days, with matches kicking off at 2pm and 4.45pm both days at the Olympic Stadium. It's the quarter-finals of the Hun Sen Cup, the precursor to the new Cambodian Premier League and it'll be seven of the big teams and one of the provincial qualifiers battling it out.
Saturday will see Phnom Penh Crown taking on Wat Phnom, formerly Spark. Without their African contingent (only Khmers can play in the Hun Sen Cup this term) Wat Phnom will struggle, and I expect Crown to get through this tie with some degree of comfort. The second game of the afternoon will pitch Naga against Build Bright, with Naga getting the nod from me. They were last year's beaten cup finalists, losing 1-nil to Crown, but gained revenge by lifting the League Championship.
Sunday will be a good battle between the underdogs Rithisen from Kompong Chhnang, who'll meet up with National Defense, who got through by the skin of their teeth against Koh Kong on penalties in the last round. Rithisen have already claimed the scalp of CPL side Kirivong in a turbulent game that saw 4 red cards, all shown to Kirivong players. This will be a tight game and may just give us another cup upset. However if the army team have Nov Soseila in their starting ranks, back after injury, they will win. The final tie of the QFs will be between the big boys of Preah Khan Reach and Khemara Keila. PKR should have just enough but with Kuoch Sokumpheak in their ranks, Khemara have their lucky talisman back after suspension and the scorer of 18 goals in the qualifiers. I'm still mystified that in the final qualifying game he netted no less than ten goals and still managed to get himself sent off. Daft bugger but still the best homegrown player bar none.