The participating teams, a start date and when fixtures will be announced has finally been provided for the Cambodian Second League, colloquially known as CPL 2.
The news comes just a day before the start of the Cambodian Premier League, replacing the original plans to start both divisions on the same day..
To read our day 1 predictions click here.
Who are the teams?
As previously reported by BPVE the league will consist of four “real clubs”, Bati Academy and three reserve teams.
The confirmed participants are as follows;
Angkor City FC (formerly Next Step FC).
National Police
Siem Reap FC
Life FC
Bati Academy
Tiffy Army Reserves
Visakha Reserves
ISI Reserves
CPL 2 teams – were there any surprises?
Not really, although Next Step FC have rebranded and Life FC are a new entity representing Sihanoukville. With the reserve teams perhaps the biggest shocks are ISI, who have only just been promoted and Tiffy Army, whose senior team might well struggle this season.
So, while this is not exactly the league of last year, nor the league anyone really wanted, it is better than nothing.
To read about Next Step rebranding lick here.
When will CPL 2 start?
The fixture list will be drawn on August 16th, with the first weekend of matches being one month later on September 16th. Later than hoped, but again better than nothing.
It is expected to be a 3 round affair, with potential promotion play-offs, although as we know with the CPL promotion is only vaguely related to how you perform on the field of play and much more about money and connections.
And the issues?
The severe delay has meant that many “real” clubs have missed out on not just signing players, but more importantly sponsorship.
With this not being an issue for the reserve sides, this may potentially lead to lopsided division and potentially again no relegation from CPL 1.
And of course the biggest elephant in the room is money. Last year fees to clubs for playing were woefully inadequate which led to many clubs going bankrupt. Should this be the same this year then will yield the same results, something Cambodian football can ill afford.
Yet Satoshi and the CPL have made enormous trades since early 2022, with the success of the recent Super Cup truly demonstrating this point. With this in mind we remain optimistic that the same level of care and interest will be shown for CPL 2.
This article is adapted from BPVE, (https://bpve.com/) reported and edited from the great team – Cambodia Sports Review. (https://www.cambodiasportsreview.com/)
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