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

Inspired by Sokumpheak

Kouch Sokumpheak is on red-hot form just now for Khemara Keila

Last week it was a hat-trick of goals, this weekend it was a hat-trick of assists, and a goal for Khemara Keila's wonder striker Kouch Sokumpheak, without doubt the hottest property of Cambodian origin in the Cambodia Premier League right now. He was on fire again today as Khemara piled on the pressure and they'd netted five goals at half-time against a hapless Spark FC. It was a much less frantic affair after the interval and Spark pulled a goal back to make the final score 5-2. They had in fact opened the scoring through the league's joint top scorer Justine Prince after 3 minutes. Sokumpheak, who is the other joint top scorer in the CPL, was the pivotal figure around which Khemara dominated the first 45 minutes, working in tandem with his Nigerian forward partner Ali Anthony to run the Spark defense ragged. Anthony bagged a couple of goals, Bunvicheth and Olatunde got the others and they could even afford defender Chan Dara getting sent off late on. I checked with national coach Scott O'Donell that Sokumpheak is still eligible for the under-23 team that will play in the SEA Games and we reckon he is - what a relief!

Sokumpheak (back row, far right) is the proud captain of the Khemara Keila team

2 goals for Khemara Keila's Nigerian striker Alichigozie Anthony

By comparison, the first game on Sunday afternoon - Build Bright v Ministry of National Defense - was of a far more sedate pace and the goalless scoreline is a perfect reflection of a match without any serious goalmouth action to get excited about. The only note I made during the game was the last-minute sending off of Defense Ministry's defender Pheak Rady. For the record, the Defense Ministry were without the injured Khim Borey whilst goalkeeper Samreth Seiha came on a few seconds before half-time for the injured Sou Yaty. I can't fathom the team selections of the Defense's coach, so I won't even begin to try.

Samreth Seiha, Cambodia's No 1 was on the Defense Ministry bench at the start of today's game - no wonder he's not looking best pleased

Build Bright in white and Defense Ministry take to the pitch in front of an empty stadium - I think they knew what the next 90 mins was going to bring