Goalkeeper Vireak Dara raises his hands in a respectful gesture to dedicate the victory over Boeung Ket to the spirit of defender Tes Sambath, who passed away on April 20. Svay Rieng FC
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng goalkeeper, Vireak Dara, was in tears as he dedicated his team’s victory over Boeung Ket in the first leg of the 2025 Hun Sen Cup semifinal to the memory of Tes Sambath, the veteran defender who passed away in a traffic accident on the night of April 20.
Before kickoff at the National Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night, all participants observed a 30-second moment of silence in honor of Sambath, who had played for Boeung Ket, Visakha and the Cambodian national team. He was widely considered one of the most outstanding defenders in Cambodian football over the past six years.
After the tribute, Boeung Ket and Svay Rieng battled it out in a closely contested match, both determined to gain the upper hand in the first leg and boost their chances of reaching the final.
During the game, both sides had their chances to score, but the only goal came in the 9th minute when Chou Sinti expertly finished a cross delivered into the box by Lao striker Bounpachan Bounkong.
Svay Rieng (in white) defeated Boeung Ket 1-0 in the first leg of their Hun Sen Cup semifinal on April 23. Svay Rieng
That winning goal put Svay Rieng on a path to once again eliminating Boeung Ket in the semifinals — just as they did last year, when they beat them 4-3 on aggregate over two legs. The second leg this time will be played on Svay Rieng's home turf.
While fans and players celebrated the 1-0 win, Vireak Dara removed his goalkeeper jersey to reveal a white shirt printed with a photo of Tes Sambath and the words: “Never Forget You Tes Sambath”.
Dara, who shared many memories with Sambath — especially from their time together at Visakha and on Cambodian national sides, from U-19 up to the senior squad — raised his hands in a respectful gesture, holding back tears and dedicated the win to his late teammate’s spirit.
Vireak Dara, Cambodia’s first-choice national goalkeeper, also posted an emotional tribute.
“Big brother, today we won, Tes Sambath. Today, Sambath is my MVP,” he wrote.
Svay Rieng head coach Pep Munoz acknowledged that Boeung Ket had put his side under pressure right from the start, noting that the Hun Sen Cup is Boeung Ket’s last chance at silverware this year — so they were not pleased to lose 1-0.
“Today’s result — I believe Boeung Ket won’t be happy. I think they should’ve scored, but football depends on finishing. If you don’t score, you don’t win,” he said, after the match.
Nevertheless, the Spanish coach emphasised that the 1-0 lead is not yet decisive.
“This is a two-leg match. This result isn’t final. Just last year, we beat them 3-1 at Boeung Ket’s ground, but in the second leg at our place, they scored twice and we only got one late goal to win the tie 4-3 overall,” he noted.
“Two-leg matches are tough. We scored away this time, but they can score at our ground too. A 1-0 lead is just a slight advantage. So we must do even better in the second leg,” he added.
