FC stated their title ambitions in their Sunday evening C-League match at the Olympic Stadium, with Nigerian wing wizard Esoh Paul Omogba in an unforgiving mood as he played a starring role in the second-half demolition of hapless Asia Europe United FC in a 5-0 win for the Rubbermen.

Coach Prak Sovannara, aware that league leaders Ministry of National Defense FC had won the previous day, named an attacking lineup, with the team’s trio of Nigerians, Omogba, Dzarma Bata and Samuel Gbenga Ajayi leading the attack as the team looked for a ninth win.

However, despite all the possession in Boeung Ket’s favour, a resolute AEU defense were able to keep their oppositions African triumvirate at bay in a tight first half.

Unfortunately for AEU, the second-half was a different story as Omogba finally unlocked the AEU defense five minutes after the restart, slamming a header home for the game’s opener.  Chan Vathanaka then notched a brace of goals, before Rous Samoeun got his head onto a dinked ball from Ajayi to make it four goals to nil. Omogba completed the rout two minutes later racing onto his teammates ball to lift the ball over the onrushing keeper – a fitting end for what was a phenomenal performance for the Nigerian, now in his second season at the 2015 Toyota Mekong Club Championship finalists.

The loss leaves AEU at the wrong end of the league standings, a mere point above Western FC in tenth place.

Earlier in the day, Svay Rieng FC also hit five in a 5-3 goal-fest against CMAC United FC.

Phnom Penh Crown were held to a goalless draw in their Metfone C-League encounter on Friday against fellow mid-table side Cambodian Tiger FC.

Former crown shot-stopper Samrith Seiha was the hero for Tiger, as he kept out Crown at a rain-lashed Olympic Stadium clash on Friday evening.

Crown had also failed to hit the back of the net in their midweek Hun Sen Cup fixture against CMAC FC – with the lack of a consistent goalscorer since the departure of George Bisan and injury to Shane Booysen largely to blame for the club’s haphazard defence of their title. The duo were responsible for almost fifty of the teams goals in their last campaign, as Crown recorded a second straight league winning season.

Despite the absence of the league’s top goalscorer Choe Myong-ho through suspension, Ministry of National Defense FC gunned down the still winless National Police Commissary 2-0, courtesy of goals from freshly-recruited North Korean forward Ri Hyok-chol. The Korea DPR-capped forward was announced as an Army player earlier in the day, along with centre-back Jang Song-hyok, a teammate at North Korean club side Rimyongsu Sports Club.

Meanwhile, NagaWorld also announced the signing of former Asia Europe United and Crown frontman George Kelechi Stanley. The Nigerian had been without a club since being released by Crown earlier in the month, but Naga moved swiftly to snap up Kelechi, who netted 23 goals in the 2015 C-League, before signing for Crown at the start of the current season. Kelechi struggled to make an impact with the league champions where he netted only three league goals in a brief spell at the club.

Kelechi was given a starting berth in the clubs 2-0 Saturday afternoon win against Western FC, although it was his compatriot Richard Omokafe who stole the headlines with a first-half double-strike claiming the three points for Naga.

Naga were also announced as Cambodian representatives for the upcoming 2017 AFC Asian Cup playoff qualifiers in Mongolia this. Crown, as league champions were expected to be the Cambodian entry, were disqualified by the AFC after the uncovering of last-seasons match-fixing controversy by a number of now ex-players and officials.

Naga, as league-playoff finalists were awarded Crown’s vacant spot and have been drawn in group B alongside Erchim FC of Mongolia and Nepalese side Three Star Club. The three group (A,B & C) winners will advance to the playoff stage of the competition proper.

About The Author

ismail

Ismail is an English Sports Editor/Reporter at a national newspaper in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He has a particular interest in Southeast Asian football, specifically that of Cambodia, Laos, Singapore and Myanmar. He has written in the past about the English Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.


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