Sunday, May 21, 2017

I would love to be top scorer

PPCFC have completed the deadline-day signing of striker Run Rany, who has joined the club from Western. Rany was the third highest Cambodian-born goalscorer in the Metfone C-League last season, with 8 goals in what was his first season with Western. Earlier this year, Rany scored against Crown in Western’s 3-1 victory at RSN Stadium, with a thunderbolt drive from 25 yards. Twenty-seven-year-old Rany (5/6/1989) was born in Phnom Penh and attended Preah Yukanthor High School, playing his early football with Kang Reach Sey and the National Defense Ministry U-19s. Following a break from football, he joined Build Bright United in the Cambodian League in 2012 for two seasons. After a year with the now-defunct Albirex Niigata, he spent 2015 with CMAC, captaining them in most of their games before his move to Western. Married with one daughter, he has also played regularly for futsal team Rolling FC for the last four years. “I’ve wanted to join PPCFC for the past couple of years, so today is a very happy day for me and I promise to do the best I can for my teammates, the club and the fans,” said the striker who will wear jersey number 18. “I am very pleased to be joining this great club and my aim is to score as many goals as possible - I would love to be the top scorer and for the team to win both the MCL and the Hun Sen Cup. That is my hope for my new team and I will do everything I can to make it happen.”

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Happy to play in any position

“For the team I am happy to play in any position, though I prefer midfield and winger,” said PPCFC’s Japanese-born utility player, Yuta Suzuki, who joined the club in February. After six months playing for FSC Stara Rise in Czech Republic football - in his own words, “a good experience, it was very physical” - the 26-year-old is happy to be in Cambodia with PPCFC. “As a professional, my best-ever moment was beating Boeungket, I and the team put everything into winning and it was a fantastic feeling. Everyone worked so hard and the voice of our fans was so loud, we have so many supporters and they can make a big difference when they shout for the team.” Comparing Khmer football with the game in Japan, where he played for 4 years with Senshu University and two years with FC Suzuka Rampole, he feels: “Cambodians play with a lot of heart and passion, great intensity and fighting spirit. What they lack, especially our youngsters, is in the physical side of football, but their technique is very good. Svay Rieng are the best team we have played but I really feel PPCFC can be the strongest team this season, though we have to fight hard in every match, like we did against Boeungket.”
Born: 9/July/1990 in Mie Prefecture, Central Japan. Hobbies: Reading, watching movies, eating Japanese food.

Ability to be champions


PPCFC are very pleased to announce the signing of 27-year-old South Korean striker, Gisung Yeon, until the end of the current season. “I’m very happy to join PPCFC, the stadium and pitch are excellent, the team has many fans, the coaching staff are very good and I hope I can bring some stability and encouragement to help the younger players. I think the team has the ability to be champions. I also heard great things about the club from my close friends, Sim and Baek, who used to play here.”
Gisung was born (1/8/89) in Suwon City in South Korea and won the national high school championships with his school in Yongin City, Baekam High School. After 2 years at Honam University in Gwangju, he spent a year with Gyeongnam in the K-League, though his chances were limited so he headed to Thailand. He joined TTM Phichit in the Thai Premier in 2011, scored a hat-trick in one of his first matches, but suffered a dislocated foot, requiring two surgeries, which kept him sidelined for 20 months. He returned in 2013 for a 4-month spell in the Thai Premier with BEC Tero, before a loan spell with PTT Rayong in Division 1 ended with an ACL knee injury. After another long spell out of action, he spent 2015 with Yadanarbon in the Myanmar League, finishing in 2nd place and beaten cup finalists. Last year, he played the second half of the season with Bangkok Christian College in Thai Division 2, scoring 7 goals. Gisung is two-footed – “my right foot is more accurate but my left is more powerful” – and in his spare time he likes to study English. He will wear jersey number 12. 

Friday, April 28, 2017

It was wonderful

Ouk ‘Messi’ Sothy is one of our longest-serving players, with Crown for more than five years, having arrived in November 2011 from Flying Bikes. “I’m happy at PPCFC, it’s the best club in Cambodia and we are developing football the right way in my view. My ambition this year is to put another star on the club badge and to win the Hun Sen Cup for the first time.” Messi, a nickname he picked up as a teenager, won the 2014 Championship with Crown but was forced to sit out the following years’ title success with a debilitating ACL injury he suffered whilst training with the Cambodia national team. “I played two friendly games for Cambodia in 2014 (against Malaysia and Indonesia) and would love another chance, but it’s up to the new coach. Playing for the national team was a dream come true for me, it was wonderful and a real confidence-booster.” He also appeared for the Cambodia Futsal national team. Messi will turn thirty later this year and says of his teammates: “We have a good mix of young and senior players at the club. Our youngsters show great character, a big heart and give 100% and it’s a pleasure to play with them as one of the older heads in the team.” 
Born: 5/Oct/1987 in Phnom Penh. Hobbies: Romantic music and swimming.

The best present

Ahead of Saturday's big match, one player who has been influential at both PPCFC and Boeung Ket is Keo Sokngon. As a teenager he won two League Championships and two Hun Sen Cups with Crown before spending a year in Thailand with Samut Sakhon. In 2012 he returned to Cambodia to join Boeung Ket and win the league title for a third time. He rejoined PPCFC in June 2015 and was part of our Championship-winning team that year, collecting his 4th league winners medal. Add to that 3 MVP awards and many international appearances for the Cambodia National Team and Sokngon's career has been a success story. "It's my birthday on Sunday so I want to give our fans the best present - a victory. These games attract a lot of fans, both teams have had great success and when they meet, it's always a fantastic game for the players and fans, just like the biggest games around the world. I've had good times at both clubs though my dream this season is for PPCFC to be in the top 4 and then win another championship, as well as the Hun Sen Cup, which I believe we can do." When asked to highlight the best moment of his career, Sokngon returns to his youth. "My best memory was when my dream came true and I played for the Cambodia U-17 team in Phnom Penh against Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia and scored 3 goals. It was the start of everything. I will never forget it."