Gresik, Indonesia – Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC has secured a place in the final stage of the AFC Challenge League, where they will face Turkmenistan’s Arkadag FK, in the third tier of the Asian football championship.

The Cambodian side advanced with an aggregate score of 6-3 after a dramatic 3-3 draw in the second leg of the semifinals on Thursday at the Gelora Joko Samudro Stadium. 

Svay Rieng’s dominant 3-0 win in the first leg against Madura United proved vital in securing their ticket to the final.

In the second leg, Svay Rieng opened the scoring early with a 5th-minute strike from Brazilian winger Gabriel Silva. Madura United equalized in the 27th minute through Pedro Monteiro, but the Blue Swords quickly reclaimed the lead one minute later when Laotian striker Bounphachan Bounkong made it 2-1 before halftime.

Continuing their attacking momentum, midfielder Min Ratanak extended Svay Rieng’s lead to 3-1 in the 56th minute. 

However, the hosts mounted a strong comeback. Substitute forward Andi Irfan pulled one back in the 58th minute, and an own goal by Vireak Dara in the 76th minute levelled the score at 3-3 by full time.

Despite the draw, Svay Rieng’s dominant performance in the first leg was enough to send them through to the final, where they will face FK Arkadag of Turkmenistan on May 10 at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh.

In the post-match press conference, Svay Rieng head coach Pep Muñoz expressed his delight at reaching the final but acknowledged that the team lost control in the second half.

“We are happy because we are in the final. It's fantastic for the club, for the players, the staff, the management, the supporters of Svay Rieng, the province and for Cambodian football.

“I think we started very well. We had a chance in the second minute and then scored early. It was a very good first half. 

“In the second half, we made some rotations, and while we managed ball possession, we had problems in individual situations. The goals we conceded were very soft. Our aim was to win the game — and we couldn’t do that — but we're still going to the final and that’s what matters.”

Silva, who scored in both legs of the semifinal, also shared his joy.

“I'm very happy to be in the final. Congratulations to my teammates and the staff. Big thanks to our amazing fans. I'm happy to see everyone in the final. But now, we shift our focus to Sunday’s league game.”

Svay Rieng becomes the second Cambodian team in history to reach the final stage of an AFC competition. The first was Phnom Penh Crown FC, who advanced to the final of the AFC President’s Cup in 2011 but finished as runners-up after a narrow 2-3 defeat to Chinese Taipei’s Taipower Company FC at the Kaohsiung National Stadium.

According to AFC Challenge League regulations, Svay Rieng FC is guaranteed $360,000 in prize money for reaching the final. The champion will get $1,000,000, while the runner-up will earn $500,000.