CAMBODIA U23 EDGE FORMER V-LEAGUE CHAMPIONS HAGL

“I was very pleased with the character of the boys. They can take great credit from their performance. We conceded two soft goals from set pieces, and we have still got to improve on all aspects of our play, but they gave me everything they had, and its a great morale boost for them,” said Cambodia’s national coach Scott O’Donell.

“It was great to play and win in front of our own supporters, and they were great, too, even when we were down. This competition is a perfect opportunity to prepare ourselves for the SEA Games next month,” O’Donell added.

But it was HAGL who began the game strongly when they took a slim 1-0 lead at the half with the goal coming off Bui Xuan Huei’s header before Khuat Huu Long added the second in the 51st minute from close range.

But HAGL were not counting on the fight back from the young Cambodian side led by the diminutive Nov Soseila, whose darting runs troubled the visiting side.

Khim Borey, playing his first competitive match in six months, grabbed a double to put the score level at 2-2 – both from the penalty spot.

In the 76th minute, the homesters nailed the winner when Prak Mony Udom slammed home the cross from Sun Sovannarith.

In the meantime, the Laos Under-23 side held another V-League outfit Vissai Ninh Binh to a 1-1 draw.

Sayavuthi Khampeng opened the scoring for the Laotian side with a well-taken just after ten minutes into the game before Ninh Binh found the equaliser on 26 minutes with a header from Dang Van Thanh.

The next matchday will see the Laos U23 side taking on the Cambodia U23 team while HAGL will play Ninh Binh.