Striker Min Rattanak celebrates his late goal with Bounphachan Bounkong and Gabriel Silva Costa. Svay Rieng FC
Svay Rieng FC head coach Pep Munoz credited his team for their impressive performance in a rain-soaked 3-0 defeat of Indonesia’s Madura United FC 3–0 in the first leg of the 2024–2025 AFC Challenge League semi-finals, played last night.
During the match, played on April 10 at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, Munoz noted that Madura had a similar playing style to his squad – with good quality and a strong focus on ball possession. However, he was pleased to share that his side outperformed the opposition, especially with two early goals scored within the first six minutes.
Brazilian striker Breninho opened the scoring with a beautiful goal in the 4th minute. Just two minutes later, Laotian forward Bounphachan Bounkong doubled the lead. The third goal came in the 89th minute, added by Min Ratanak, after a superb assist from Gabriel Silva Costa.
“It was a great game. We followed the plan we prepared and stuck to our style of play. We played very well in the first half. Like I said before the match — we could win if we controlled the ball, and we really did that well,” Munoz told a post-match press conference.
“In the second half, some of our actions were truly fantastic — especially our rhythm of play. Honestly, today’s match wouldn’t have been this good without the support of the fans. I hope our players will remember this incredible game,” he added.
The match drew a crowd of more than 10,000 spectators, with tens of thousands more watching the live broadcast. The match was intense, and Munoz credited each of his players for their hard work and for earning the 3-0 result.
The rain-soaked match saw moments of brilliance form the Svay Rieng side, with Breninho (number 97) opened the scoring with a beautiful goal in the 4th minute. Svay Rieng FC
“The ones who won this match were the players. We have quality players — both local and foreign. I just put them on the field, but they were the ones who really gave it their all to win,” said the Spanish coach.
On the other side, Angel Alfredo Vera, Munoz’s counterpart at Madura United, expressed regret over the first leg loss, saying it happened because his team failed to follow their game plan.
“We played against a very good team, and they scored two quick goals. We didn’t play well according to our strategy,” he said.
However, Vera is aiming for a comeback in the second leg, which will be held on April 17 in Indonesia.
“We still have 90 minutes left to play for our fans. We hope to at least equal the result and beat them,” he said.
Munoz acknowledged that the second away leg will not be easy. Still, he considered the 3–0 win a valuable advantage and affirmed his determination to secure another victory on Indonesian soil.
