Sin Kakada scored three goals alone to help Visakha beat Tiffy Army 4-0 on Wednesday. Visakha FC
Visakha FC and current title holders Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng secured victories over National Defence FC (Tiffy Army) and Kirivong Sok Sen Chey, respectively, to advance to the semi-finals of the 18th Samdech Hun Sen Cup 2025.
Boeung Ket FC is determined to defeat ISI Dangkor Sen Chey tonight, and keep its sights on the final.
Tiffy Army’s head coach, Phea Sopheaktra, adopted a defensive strategy – aiming for a scoreless draw to force a penalty shootout – as the first leg had ended 2-2. However, while the Tiffy defence held strong in the first half, it crumbled in the second, conceding four goals to Visakha.
Sin Kakada was the star of the show, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist for Brazilian forward Ramon De Andrade Souza to add another goal.
Visakha will face Phnom Penh Crown in the semi-finals, after Crown eliminated Nagaworld FC with a 4-0 first-leg win, despite losing 1-0 in the second leg.
Svay Rieng were out of sorts when Kirivong Sok Sen Chey, who lost the first leg 2-0, struck first through a Khean Soben goal in the 31st minute.
However, Svay Rieng’s Brazilian striker Pablo Augusto, recently returned from injury, responded with a hat-trick, before Tenege Neville Mbanwei converted a penalty in stoppage time (90+4’) for Kirivong.
Brazilian striker Pablo Augusto, who has just returned from injury, scored three goals on his return from injury to help Svay Rieng continue their winning streak against Kirivong. Svay Rieng
The 3-2 second-leg victory ensured Svay Rieng’s progression to the semi-finals, where they will face either Boeung Ket or ISI Dangkor Sen Chey, who will meet on Thursday night.
Having won the first leg 2-0, Boeung Ket holds a strong advantage. Head coach Conor Nestor has set his sights on rewriting history by leading the team to the final.
“We’re out of contention for the league title, but we’re still in the Hun Sen Cup, where we’ve been performing well. The semi-finals are within reach, and I want to make history by taking Boeung Ket to the final,” he told a pre-match press conference.
“We are fully prepared to embrace the joy of reaching the final, but also ready to face the pain if things don’t go our way,” he added.
Boeung Ket forward Sieng Chanthea shared the same ambition.
“We can’t compete for the league title anymore, so the Hun Sen Cup is now our main focus. My goal is always to score as many goals as possible to help the team, even if I’m not the tournament’s top scorer,” he said.
Despite their 2-0 first-leg defeat, ISI Dangkor Sen Chey head coach Tum Saray remained optimistic about his team’s chances of overturning the deficit.
“Boeung Ket is well-organised and play with strong teamwork. It won’t be easy, but we must fight to win this second leg,” he said.
“I believe our foreign players will be fully fit this time, giving us a better chance to compete at our best,” he noted.
With Boeung Ket holding the advantage and ISI Dangkor Sen Chey desperate for a comeback, the second-leg clash promises to be a thrilling encounter.
