Crown's New Faces

Phnom Penh Crown have just issued the following Press Release to all media.
On 31 January 2012, prior to the Hun Sen Cup competition, Phnom Penh Crown announced securing the services of no less than thirteen new players. Crown are now pleased to announce the addition of six new players to our playing squad for the forthcoming Metfone Cambodian League, which the club have won for the last two consecutive seasons, in 2010 and 2011.

Crown welcome new midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong (22), who played under head coach David Booth at Sisaket in the Thai Premier League last season. Frimpong was born in Accra, Ghana and progressed via Gawara Babies and Goldfields Academy before spending five years with Ghanaian Premier League club Liberty Professionals, prior to joining Sisaket. Joining Frimpong in midfield is Henry Asonibe (20), who is no stranger to the C-League having played for Spark and Wat Phnom in 2009 and 2010. Asonibe hails from Oguto in Nigeria and spent two years with Orashi United in his home country before coming to Cambodia.

Adding to Crown’s goalscoring options is striker Melvin Tarley (29), who has two international caps for his nation, Liberia and who has spent more than a decade in United States football. Born in Monrovia, the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia, he escaped the civil war in his country and moved from a refugee camp to live in Minnesota at the age of 17. He played for Alliance and a brief stint in Hungary with Chaspel before joining Major League Soccer with Minnesota Thunder, Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids. He enjoyed spells at Puerto Rico Islanders and Miami and more time at Minnesota Thunder before they changed their name to NSC Minnesota Stars, his final club before joining Crown.

A new face in defence is Cambodian national team full-back Pheak Rady (23), who has spent the last three years with the National Defense Ministry team. Born in Ponhea Leu in Kandal, he represented both Kandal and Kompong Speu province before a season with Phnom Penh Empire and a few games for Khemara Keila.

Two players who were an important part of Crown’s successful C-League championship team last season, Chan Chaya (25) and Kingsley Njoku (25) have also re-joined the club. Both players are currently serving suspensions as a result of the AFC President’s Cup Final defeat in Taiwan and are not yet eligible to play in the C-League. Njoku scored 15 goals last season, with Chaya netting 9 goals. Crown have accepted the players’ remorse for their actions in the AFC President’s Cup Final and we welcome them back into the club’s playing squad for the new season.

PPCFC’s foreign players in 2012: Odion Obadin (Nigeria) – defender : Henry Asonibe (Nigeria) – midfield : Emmanuel Frimpong (Ghana) – midfield : Melvin Tarley (Liberia/USA) – forward : Kingsley Njoku (Nigeria) - forward.