Captain Sokumpheak sidelined

Kouch Sokumpheak lies injured at the feet of the match referee in yellow. Courtesy of Sabay.com

In what amounts to a double punishment for Phnom Penh Crown after they were tonked 5-1 by Boeung Ket on Wednesday afternoon, the club now have to face the loss of their talismanic captain Kouch Sokumpheak for at least six weeks, effectively ruling him out of the remainder of their Metfone C-League campaign. Fifteen minutes from the end of Wednesday's match and Sokumpheak went down clutching his leg under a challenge from BK goalkeeper Peng Bunchhay, a former teammate at Crown. As he hobbled off the pitch, initial fears were for an ankle injury but pain in his knee and a scan that same evening, revealed knee ligament damage that will require up to six weeks of rest. With Crown's final domestic match scheduled for 26 August against NagaCorp that would suggest he will play no further part in the club's outside challenge of making the top 4 league places and gaining entry into the play-offs. His recovery target will therefore be the AFC President's Cup final stages, at a location still to be decided by the AFC, which will be held during 24-30 September. Crown will be keeping their fingers and legs crossed that their skipper will be back to fitness in time for their important season finale.