Cambodian League Week One Update: Svay Rieng Pips Kirivong Sok Sen Chey 3-1

Photo from Facebook of Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng football club

SVAY RIENG--A new-look Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng football club recorded their first win in the Cambodian Premier League 1 (CPL 1) when it faced Kirivong Sok Sen Chey FC on Tuesday night.



The match between the two sides was held at the Svay Rieng Stadium in Svay Rieng Province, starting at 6:30 pm. It was the first game for both teams this season after 3 other games were played over the weekend at other centers.



PKR Svay Rieng FC, which won the CPL 1 in 2019, played without several familiar faces, after the departure of mainstays Jean Befolo “Privat” Mbarga and Daisuke Kobayashi. Mbarga joined Bali United FC in Indonesia, while Kobayashi was snagged by defending CPL 1 titlists Phnom Penh Crown FC.



To beef up its lineup for the 2022 Season, PKR Svay Rieng FC brought in several local and foreign standouts led by former English Premier League (EPL) player Marcus Haber. 



Japanese defensive ace Hikaru Mizuno from Boeung Ket FC, Angkor Tiger FC midfielder Long Phearath, Japanese midfielder Takashi Odawara and Irish center-back Clyde O’Connell are the four new players acquired by the Svay Rieng-based team.



Haber showed the stuff he was when he scored a brace. The Former EPL Player opened the scores in the 3rd minute before Sareth Kyra doubled Svay Rieng’s lead in the 21st minute. 6 minutes later, Haber got his second of the night and made it 3-0 for Svay Rieng going into the break.



 Kirivong pulled one back in the 74th minute through Porteria Jose Elmer but it was only a mere consolation goal as Svay Rieng edged the Takeo Based side to win all three points



Odawara and O’Connell formed a formidable attacking squad, together with Prak Mony Udom and Cameroonian striker Emmanuel Mbarga, younger brother of Privat won the Man of the Match award following his all-around display. The younger Mbarga joined PKR Svay Rieng FC last season and showed flashes of brilliance in his first few games for the club.



Meanwhile, Visakha FC and Boeung Ket FC won their opening matches with the same scoreline making all three sides joint Top of the Table after week one fixtures. The game between Phnom Penh Crown FC and Tiffy Army FC ended in a scoreless draw thus the champions are currently in 4th place.



Meanwhile, at Cambodian League 2, Next Step, AEU and 4 others are off to a flying start. 



Next Step FC, edged the National Football Academy (Bati Youth), 1-0, at the Siem Reap Stadium in Siem Reap province. The New Comers to the CPL 2 is a team run by former Soltilo Angkor FC head coach Darren Pomroy, and Bruno Scored the lone goal that gave the side all 3 points.



“Your commitment is amazing and you truly embody that “never give up” attitude required to play at this level,” Pomroy, praised the boys’ moments the match.



Meanwhile, AEU FC, drubbed Siem Reap FC, 6-1, at the same venue. AEU FC played in CPL 1 until last season, before being relegated to the second-tier league this year.



The Cambodian Premier League (CPL), the new company in charge of CPL 1 and CPL 2, has implemented strict licensing, which reduced to eight the number of clubs in Cambodia’s top football league.



The CPL has started to implement reforms that are expected to make Cambodia one of the football powerhouses in the region.



There would be a lot of resistance, but we should overcome them to become better,” Satoshi Saito, CEO of CPL said in a prior interview.



“We need to change. If we can continue with this, we will be successful,” he added while referring to the reforms they have implemented within the Cambodian football system. 



The CPL also runs the Cambodian Women’s League and Hun Sen Cup, Cambodia’s premier knockout tournament.



Four other Former CPL Teams are now playing in the CPL 2, this includes Soltilo Angkor FC, National Police Commissary FC, Electricite du Cambodge (EDC) FC, and Prey Veng FC.



The other four clubs in CPL 2 are Koh Kong FC, Tboung Khmum FA, Banteay Meanchey FC, and ISI Dangkor Senchey FC.



In the other four games on Sunday, ISI Dangkor Sen Chey FC defeated Prey Veng FC, 4-3; National Police Commissary FC edged Soltilo Angkor FC, 1-0; EDC FC routed Banteay Meanchey FC, 6-1; and Koh Kong FC humbled Tbong Khmum FA, 7-1.


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