CPL Week 3 Review: Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng Humbles Boeung Ket, Visakha in 5-Stars
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC continued its dominance in the 2022 Cambodian Premier League with another emphatic win at home against visiting Boeung Ket FC. Photo by Yim Gechhour
- By Ken Gadaffi
- March 21, 2022 4:25 PM
PHNOM PENH – At the end of the Cambodian Premier League’s third week, Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng takes a strong lead; Phnom Penh Crown has yet to win.
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC 4-0 Boeung Ket
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC continued its dominance in the 2022 Cambodian Premier League with another emphatic win at home against visiting Boeung Ket FC. As expected, the runaway leaders caged Boeung Ket by unleashing four unanswered goals to take their lead on the top of the table to nine points, three points ahead NagaWorld and Visakha teams, which both stand at six points.
Boeung Ket was resilient at the start of the match, shrugging off the threats of PKR Svay Rieng’s attack, until the 40th minute when the host broke the dock, with Emmanuel Mbarga Junior finding the back of the net. It was the Cameroonian’s first goal of the season despite showing flashes of what his elder brother Privat Mbarga previously showed, before switching to Indonesia’s first division at the end of last season.
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng took the 1-0 lead into the break and Boueng Ket was relieved to keep the score line low. However, on resumption, the visitors were caged to their half as the flood gate opened with three more goals, to the admiration of the Svay Rieng supporters. Marcus Waren Haber brace in the 50th and 55th minute took the game beyond Boueng Ket FC and Takashi Odawara’s 70th minute strike put the icing on the cake to give the hosts a comfortable 4-0 victory, their third one in as many games this season.
NagaWorld FC 1-0 Tiffy Army
NagaWorld FC moved to the second place of the table with its 1-0 win over Tiffy Army at the Army Stadium, when Narong Kakada put the ball into his own net to gift the hotel-backed team its second consecutive win.
Visakha FC 5-0 Kirivong Sok Sen Chey
Visakha FC’s 5-star performance against hapless Kirivong Sok Sen Chey placed them in 3rd place. The team remains below NagaWorld FC due to the head-to-head rule as against their superior goals difference. An own goal by Kirivong Sok Sen Chey’s player Touch Mananin in the 3rd minute set the ball rolling for Visakha, before Lee Jaegun’s 34th minute and Ken Chansopheak’s 40th minute strikes gave the host a 3-0 lead at the break. Khan Mohammed Faeez extended the lead to 4-0 in the 85th minute, before De Jesus Araujo Marcos Vinicius 89th minute’s goal nailed the coffin as Kirivong dropped to the bottom of the table.
Angkor Tiger 4-2 Phnom Penh Crown
The Final CPL 1 clash of the weekend saw Angkor Tiger handed a shocking 4-2 defeat to the struggling 2021 champions’ Phnom Penh Crown. Crown’s dismal start this season continued at the Hanuman Stadium in Siem Reap. Fareed Sadaat continued his goal scoring form for the Champions when he fired home early in the 3rd minute, giving the traveling crown supporters a glimmer of hope that their first win of the season would be on the way only for Nu Chenmakara to level scores in the 23rd minute. Crown restored the lead through Rafael Andres Nieto Rondon in the 48th minute to give Crown a 2-1 lead in the first half.
Angkor Tiger came back after the interval a reinvigorated side as they tore the champions apart with 3 unanswered goals. Silva Gabrieleiro -voted man of the Match- leveled scores in the 70th minute. Eight minutes later, Angkor Tiger took the lead through Kaeveny Josefphelim before Sovan Dauna sealed the victory in the 90th. The win moved Angkor Tiger to the 4th place while Phnom Penh Crown remain rooted in the relegation zone with just 1 point.
Cambodia Premier League 2
In the CPL2, five games were played across the various centers with all home teams recording victories.
Prey Veng FC handed Sotilo Angkor FC their 3rd consecutive defeat of the season with a 3-1 victory at their Prey Veng Province Stadium. ISI Dangkor Senchey winning start to the season was halted by Asia Euro United with a 3-1 defeat at the AEU Park while Koh Kong FC saw off visiting Siem Reap FC 2-1.
Bantey Menchey surprised pundits when they downed Next Step FC by 2-1. Tboung Khmum FA was humiliated by the National Football Academy by 4-0. Joint it was all square for the table toppers as Electricite Du Cambodge FC played out a goalless draw against National Police FC.
The result saw teams move up and down the table after week 3 matches. Electricite Du Cambodge is joint top of the table with National Police and Koh Koh FCall with seven points with only goals difference separating them. Asia Euro United, ISI Dangkor Senchey and Prey Veng are all on 6 points occupying the 4th, 5th and 6th places respectively. At the bottom are the two teams from Siem Reap Province, Sotilo Angkor FC and Siem Reap FC, both yet to record any point.
