Baby-faced assassin

Oum Kumpheak in national team colours

Baby-faced Army assassin Oum Kumpheak was my choice as Player of the Week this week and will get his own column inches in the Phnom Penh Post's Khmer-language Sports edition with a photo. Good for him. He's only 18 and is definitely a very bright prospect. The more that the Khmer fans can identify with their own players, especially the youngsters, the better. Naga's Joseph Oyewole won it in week 1. So that's two midfield players in the first two weeks. That's an encouraging statistic that the strikers aren't getting it all their own way given that the goals have been rattling in thick and fast in the first two weeks of new Metfone C-League competition.
There's a shortened C-league programme this week because of Khmer New Year. We'll have the usual 4 matches on Saturday and Sunday, but the Wednesday midweek game will be held over for another week until 21 April. There are no games at all next weekend. The Naga versus Army match tomorrow looks to be the juiciest encounter of the four matches. Army are going great guns whilst Naga have won twice but didn't look convincing on Wednesday - but who would in that heat. Naga are lacking firepower up front and Sun Sovanrithy, the national team skipper, is not the answer. He's a great attacking full-back or wide player, not a central striker and with Teab Vatanak looking like a man desperately devoid of confidence, they could find it tough against a resurgent Army team, who have begun the season like a mini-whirlwind. I'd also like a weekend where I don't need to mention the men in the middle. That would make a nice change.