Match reports

Sunday's double-header at Olympic Stadium

Preah Khan retake top spot in the CPL

These are my match reports from the weekend in today's Phnom Penh Post. They will appear online later today.

Sunday round-up

Hat-trick hero, Vin Nhek Troeung, Kirivon's mid-season signing from Vietnam
Kirivong's skipper and goalscorer Ly Ravy

Kirivong put their recent poor form behind them to notch up a 6-2 success

The youthful BBU side that were trounced by Kirivong on Sunday

It's 1.30am Monday morning and I've just finished watching the film The Untouchables on tv. Great story but the soundtrack music from Ennio Morricone is also untouchable, the man is a genius and if you haven't ever found the time to appreciate the man and his music, I implore you to rectify that immediately. Find out more about the maestro Morricone here. I also watched the Community Shield match on ESPN hence why my posting of Sunday's football round-up is a tad late. As I've come to expect from the Cambodian Premier League in recent months, there were goals galore in the two matches played Sunday afternoon. If you want to see the ball hitting the back of the net on a regular basis then the CPL is where its at. In the first game, Kirivong reversed their recent run of poor form with a 6-2 trounching of Build Bright, and in the second match of the day, Naga consolidated 4th spot with a 3-1 win against the bottom club Phuchung Neak.
Kirivong's recent Vietnamese import Vin Nhek Troeung was the star of their win, netting a hat-trick and leading the BBU defence a merry dance for 90 minutes. His technique in front of goal, cool, calm and collected, makes a nice change from the usual frantic attempts at goal that are the norm. His strike partner Julious Chukwumeka, skipper Ly Ravy and sub Mim Sophal were also on the scoresheet. Two late goals from BBU's industrious African striker Augustine Ogbni made it 6-2. In game 2 of the afternoon, Naga took their time before finishing off the plucky Navy side who stay rooted to the bottom with just 2 points from 14 games. They held out for the 1st half but changed their keeper just before the break - the reasons for the high number of 1st half substitutions in the CPL are a mystery to me - and paid the price when the replacement was chipped early in the second period. Chin Chom did the damage and substitutes Kop Isa and Soeung Monyroath also netted goals for Naga, with Wilson Mene grabbing a consolation for Phuchung Neak. A total of twelve goals in two games, with another five yesterday makes the CPL well worth a few hours of your time every weekend if its goals that you crave. And if you can't make the games, watch the Apsara tv round-up at 6pm every Friday night. Finally, the Cambodian U-19 team ended their AFF U-19 youth championships with a 3-nil defeat against Australia in Saigon on Saturday. Their group turned out to be just as tough as anticipated, with the Cambodians losing all three games they played. However, they did gain valuable competition practice which will hold them in good stead in the future.

Naga Corp consolidated 4th spot with a 3-1 win over Phuchung Neak

Naga's first goal was scored by former national team player Chin Chom

Mid-season signing Kop Isa netted one of the late Naga goals

The toss up between Naga (blue) and Phuchung Neak (red)

Phuchung Neak's goalscorer Wilson Mene at the after-match press interviews

The late afternoon cool air brings out the exercise merchants and kite-flyers at Olympic

Match reports

Saturday's match reports

Sunday's match report in the PPP

The inside back page of today's Phnom Penh Post has 3 of my match reports from the weekend's feast of Cambodian Premier League football. They should be online later today.

Ony on target

Ony Onyemerea, two more goals from the striker gave Preah Khan the points. Photo: Nick Sells
Preah Khan looking mean and hungry for that CPL league title

Preah Khan Reach stay top of the Cambodian Premier League after a 2-nil win over Ministry of Defense, with a workmanlike if unspectacular performance this afternoon. With the Army missing three of their best players, Preah Khan did most of the pressing and it was two goals from Nigerian striker Olisa 'Ony' Onyemerea that won them the points. He tapped in after 17 mins and again in injury time to make his mark on the game, whilst his fellow striker Ekene Ikenwa did everything but score. PKR now have 26 points from 11 games. In the 2nd game, Spark started like a train in the pouring rain and led by two goals after just fifteen minutes. Seng Komsen and Sun Sovanrotha getting on the scoresheet leaving fellow striker and the league's top marksman Justine Prince a frustrated figure. Their opponents, Build Bright, snatched a late consolation with a Prom Puthsety penalty in time added on. Today's games marked the last matches to be covered by my pal Dene for the Phnom Penh Post as he's joining the paper full-time to work on their Lifestyle section and won't be able to make future matches. There are two more matches tomorrow and a juicy encounter on Wednesday, when Naga take on Phnom Penh Crown.

The Ministry of Defense adopt one of the more unusual line-up poses before the match

PKR skipper Sam El Nasa, shakes hands with Defense's Rang Borin (in red)

An Apsara TV cameraman's view of the game

The successful Spark FC team pose before their 2-1 win today

Spark's opening goal came from Seng Komsen

Teammate Sun Sovanrotha netted Spark's 2nd goal

A frustrating afternoon for Justine Prince (blue), the league's top scorer. Photo: Nick Sells

Peanuts off the menu

The Khemara Keila line-up who fully deserved their 2-0 win over Kirivong today

Khemara skipper Kouch Sokumpheak in blue, was the star of the show, again

I took a couple of hours off work this afternoon to watch the Cambodian Premier League game at Olympic between Khemara Keila and Kirivong and for once the game was played in mild, overcast conditions instead of sweltering heat, until the heavens opened for the last ten minutes. Khemara's Kouch Sokumpheak is head and shoulders above every other Cambodian player in the league right now and displayed an infinite number of first touches, passes and goal attempts that would keep a statistician permanently occupied for the whole game. He was involved in everything. And did everything, except score. That honour went to his teammates Oladiji Olatunde and David Adeyinka, though of course he set both of them up. Khemara bossed the game from start to finish and deserved their 2-nil success. And debutant Joel Omoraka played a blinder too, keeping Kirivong's dangerman Juliuos Chukwumeka subdued. A good win for Khemara who go into 4th spot in the CPL. I have some news about the 'peanut princess' too. Anyone who has been following my posts will know that she's the main distraction at the stadium on matchdays. Well, I have to report that after some investigation, I found out that she's already happily married and has a young daughter. So I'll have to turn my attentions back to the pitch in future.

With the match coming to a close, the heavens opened and the sparse crowd took shelter under the scoreboard

The final picture of the 'peanut princess' at today's game

Match reports

My CPL football reports from Sunday's games in yesterday's Phnom Penh Post. You can see the article online here.

Form-book overturned

Tith Dina's 25 yard screamer put Phuchung Neak in front against the league leaders

New signing Wilson Weyinmi Mene popped up to net Phuchung's 2nd goal

This weekend has been pretty much a case of work, football, sleep, football and more sleep. I did manage a couple of drinks with Eric who was down in the big city again from Siem Reap where his own Hello Darling exhibition at his 4FACES gallery is going down a treat. And apart from spotting Robert Petit, the chief prosecutor at the Khmer Rouge trials who has just resigned, in his Danger Mines! t-shirt in Cafe Fresco, it was all pretty quiet. It's Sunday evening and I'm just re-running the Dengue Fever dvd Sleepwalking, which is a really good watch I must say. This afternoon I was at Olympic again, in the stifling heat and humidity, to watch top v bottom in the Cambodian Premier League. I've said it before, but hats off to these guys for producing reasonable quality football at one of the hottest times of the day. And the first half-hour of the Preah Khan Reach - the league leaders - and Phuchung Neak clash had a bit of everything. Preah Khan have been out front in the league since the start of the season whilst the Navy side have managed just 1 point so far and looked destined for the drop. The game began according to form with Preah Khan hitting the post twice before Phuchung stunned everyone, including themselves with 2 goals in as many minutes. A Tith Dina screamer and a mid-air volley from new boy Wilson Weyinmi Mene was a double sucker blow to the leaders, who pulled one back on the half-hour through Olisa Emeka Onyemerea, and then levelled matters through the same player just after the interval. 2-2 was the final result, a moral victory for the league's basement side if their celebrations were anything to go by. In the second game, I must admit to nearly nodding off on a few occasions - my excuse, it was so hot and the game didn't exactly merit paying it too much attention. Though I had to keep my eyes open, I was reporting on the game for the Phnom Penh Post. Star of the show in Build Bright's 2-nil stroll over Post Tel was mid-season transfer window signing, Augustine Ogbeide Ogbni. He was involved in all the best stuff, doing most of it on his own and netted the first goal after just nine minutes of his debut. BBU settled it early doors after the break through Oriola Adeseye Ogunsano.

Phuchung Neak, before they gave Preah Khan a run for their money
CPL leaders Preah Khan couldn't have expected such stiff opposition
Another in my series of pre-match toss-ups by referee Thong Chankethya, a regular face in the middle at CPL games
Build Bright's two goalscorers take a breather; Augustine Ogbeide Ogbni (left) and Oriola Adeseye Ogunsano

Build Bright United line up before taking on Post Tel

At a canter

Akeeb Ayoyinka (left) and Oscar Mpoko, the 2nd half goalscorers for Phnom Penh Crown

Srey Veasna equalised for Phnom Penh Crown just after half-time

Football is back on the menu after the briefest of mid-season breaks in the Cambodian Premier League and the weather just gets hotter and hotter. It was hard enough just to breathe sitting in the press box this afternoon, goodness knows how the teams manage to play in these sweltering conditions. Talking of the press box, it was full to overflowing at one stage today with no less than six contributors to the Phnom Penh Post newspaper in residence, not to mention their invited guests. Up for our enjoyment at 2pm was one of the title favourites Phnom Penh Crown, who despatched the Ministry of Defence 3-1 but didn't have it all their own way. The diminuative Nov Soseila eluded three defenders to toepoke the opening goal for the Defense team and their lead lasted until a Srey Veasna equaliser five minutes after the break. With Defense losing the country's number 1 Samreth Seiha to injury, his replacement Sou Yaty got his positioning all wrong as the game entered the last five minutes and allowed Koua Oscar Mpoko to lob Crown ahead. In time added on, Akeeb Ayoyinka continued his fine run of form with a third goal, and maybe his last if his transfer to a Turkish team goes ahead.

Phnom Penh Crown looking mean and hungry for three points this afternoon

The Ministry of Defense line-up who held out for 85 minutes before going behind
Skippers Sothearith of Crown (red) and Borin of Defense decide on which way to kick-off

Tiny winger Nov Soseila gave Defense a head start with a well-taken individual goal

Naga's man-of-the-match Yemi Joseph Oyewole bossed the midfield and scored the opening goal

Friday Nwakuna weighed in with Naga's third goal with a couple of minutes left on the clock

In the second game of the afternoon, the result, a 3-nil success for Naga Corp went to form, as they overran Spark, who'd begun brightly but without their suspended top scorer Justine Prince, they proved toothless and quickly faded. Naga, with Yemi Joseph Oyewole pulling the strings in midfield, took the lead when the man-of-the-match lofted a shot from distance into the net. Before half-time, Olajide Olawaseun turned the ball into his own net for number two and the scoring was completed with a couple of minutes to go when Friday Nwakuna finished off a pass from the impressive Teab Vathanak. Both Naga and Phnom Penh Crown won at a canter and showed the difference in class of the haves and have-nots in the CPL.

Skipper Om Thavrak leads out his Naga team in dark blue

Naga Corp look like they mean business, and they ran out 3-0 winners

Spark began brightly but quickly faded, losing 3-nil

The referee and his coin take center stage with Spark's Vibol and Naga's Thavrak looking on

Today's photo of the 'peanut princess' looking cool and casual, despite the sweltering heat

One from the archives of the 'peanut princess' expanding her range of goods for sale