Pep Munoz showed his displeasure with Svay Rieng’s form, even as he led them to a 4-2 win over Shan United on Wednesday night. Svay Rieng FC
Despite a 4-2 victory, head coach Pep Munoz shared his dissatisfaction with the quality of Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng’s play in last night’s win over Myanmar side Shan United FC.
The match was the final group stage encounter in the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup 2024/2025 for both sides, with neither able to secure qualification to the next round.
Despite securing three points, Munoz believed his squad underperformed, adding that his team’s performance has declined compared to previous matches.
“As I have mentioned before, we wanted to finish our last match in this tournament with a victory, and we did. However, the overall performance was not what we wanted,” he told media after the match.
“The tempo and teamwork were not at the level we had shown before. We won the match, but we didn’t play well,” added the Spaniard.
During the February 5 match – held at the National Olympic Stadium – midfielder Ye Yint Aung scored quickly to give Shan United a 1-0 lead in just the 7th minute.
Laotian player Bounphachan Bounkong and Brazilian striker Christian Roque celebrate the second goal of the match. The two each scored twice for Svay Rieng. Svay Rieng FC
However, Brazilian forward Christian Roque equalised for Svay Rieng in the 16th minute, followed by two more goals from Laotian player Bounphachan Bounkong in the 20th and 33rd minutes, giving Svay Rieng a 3-1 lead by halftime.
A mistake by goalkeeper Sang Hankhun, who cleared the ball too slowly, resulted in a penalty for Shan United after Moussa Paul Bakayoko intercepted the ball and scored in the 75th minute. However, just one minute later, Christian Roque scored again for Svay Rieng.
The win means Svay Rieng finish the group stage in Group A with two wins, one draw and two losses, totalling 7 points.
Thailand's BG Pathum United secured first place with 11 points after defeating Malaysia's Terengganu FC 4-3 on Wednesday. Indonesia’s PSM Makassar FC secured second place with 10 points after winning 3-0 against Vietnam's Dong A Thanh Hoa.
Svay Rieng's second-choice goalkeeper Sang Hankhun made his first international appearance for the club in last night’s match. Svay Rieng FC
Munoz congratulated BG Pathum and PSM Makassar for advancing to the semi-finals, but also reflected on his side’s 1-0 home defeat to PSM Makassar on January 8.
The result prevented Svay Rieng from turning their final match against Shan United into an opportunity to secure advancement.
“In the game against PSM Makassar, we should have achieved a better result – at least a draw – to gain enough points and make our final match a competitive one for advancing. But we failed to score, so now we must focus on the Cambodian Premier League, Hun Sen Cup and the AFC,” explained the coach.
Apart from the domestic Cambodian Premier League and 2025 Hun Sen Cup competitions, , Svay Rieng still has one major international competition ahead, the quarter-finals of the AFC Challenge League.
Somewhat fitfully, they will face Shan United once again.
The two teams will compete in a two-legged tie to determine who advances to the semi-finals.
The first leg will be held in Cambodia on March 6, with Svay Rieng hosting the match at the Morodok Techo National Stadium. The second leg will take place on March 13, when Svay Rieng travels to Shan United's home ground.
