Pep Munoz, Svay Reing head coach, called the win ‘deserved’. Svay Rieng FC
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC is retracing a familiar path as they attempt to hold onto their Hun Sen Cup title, after defeating Boeung Ket FC in the second leg of the semi-final on Wednesday night. Coach Pep Munoz insisted it was “only fair” that his team has reached this crucial stage.
The Spanish coach believed their place is the final was well-deserved, given how hard his team has worked and how demanding their season has been — both domestically and internationally. This includes their recent participation in the AFC Challenge League final at the Morodok Techo National Stadium on May 10, wheich Svay Rieng lost, in a heartbreaking 2-1 match to FK Arkadag from Turkmenistan.
“We are truly happy to reach the final again. Some of our players just returned from playing on Saturday, with a few of them having played over 120 minutes. Today, their fight and determination were outstanding,” Munoz told the media, immediately after the Boeung Ket match.
“When we made a mistake and allowed Boeung Ket to score first, the pressure and difficulty really increased. We had to push hard to create chances to equalise. When we finally scored the goal that sent us to the final, it felt justified for our team,” he added.
In last night’s match, at Svay Rieng Stadium, Boeung Ket took the lead with a goal by striker Sieng Chanthea in the 30th minute. This equalised the aggregate score, as Svay Rieng won the first leg 1-0.
However, Boeung Ket couldn’t find another goal to fulfil their hopes of eliminating Svay Rieng. On the contrary, Svay Rieng’s comeback efforts paid off when forward Nhean Sosidan scored in the 74th minute, securing a 2-1 aggregate victory and a place in the final.
Svay Rieng secured a 2-1 aggregate win over Boeung Ket in last night’s Hun Se Cup semi-final, and will now advance to the final. Svay Rieng FC
The result was a bitter disappointment for Boeung Ket, who have been eliminated from the 18th edition of the Hun Sen Cup.
Reflecting the emotional atmosphere, Boeung Ket posted a message on their official Facebook page immediately after the match.
“We’re sorry, everyone! This is not the result we wanted,” wrote the club.
Club president Puth Thyda also had a message for the fans.
“We gave it everything we had,” he said.
Svay Rieng will now face Phnom Penh Crown in the final, to be played at Morodok Techo National Stadium on May 25. Boeung Ket will compete against Visakha FC for third place, on the same day.
Munoz sees the final as the last major showdown of the season, and he hopes to see a large crowd in attendance — just like during the AFC Challenge League final against FK Arkadag on May 10.
“We hope that those who supported us at the AFC final will come out and cheer us on again for the Hun Sen Cup final. This is the last trophy of the Cambodian football season. Hopefully, May 25 will be a football celebration for our people — and we hope to come out as champions,” he said.
