The big question

Looking glum - Khuon Laboravy

The big question on everyone's lips is why Khuon Laboravy has not been included in the provisional squad of thirty players selected by Cambodia's new head coach Hok Sochetra. It's as clear as the nose on anyone's face that Laboravy is one of the few players in Cambodia that can win games on his own, with a burst of his electrifying pace or his eye for goal. He's proved that over the past couple of seasons in domestic football, time and again, both in league and cup competitions, and though an injury put him on the sidelines earlier this season, he's now back on the pitch and chipping in with goals in Preah Khan Reach's push for a Super 4 slot. However, that doesn't hold sufficient sway with Sochetra, who has decided to omit the lanky frontman from his AFF Suzuki Cup preparations, which began last week, much to the consternation of the football fraternity in the capital. Laboravy would be a kingpin in pretty much everyone else's squad, except the newly-appointed head coach. It's a decision that needs investigating, though Sochetra's response when the question was put to him yesterday was abrupt and to the point: "Ravy cannot play in my system.  I need players who will run forwards and run back." Sorry coach, but that won't wash with me and many others. Firstly, there are so very few quality strikers available to you, that to jettison one of the best is opening the door wide for a shower of criticism so early in your stint in charge and secondly, if it's the case that the player doesn't defend enough to your liking, make him do it or at least give him a chance to fail in the attempt. To simply leave him out of the reckoning for such an important series of competitive games for the national team, their first in over a year, is mind-boggling. On the other hand, a coach will live or die, figuratively-speaking, by his decisions on who to include and who to leave out and the country's football fans will be able to judge for themselves by the results when Cambodia go to Myanmar in October for the qualifying competition.

Of course, in any other country, the sports press would be asking these questions, putting the new coach through the ringer about his squad selections player by player, his preparations for the competition, in-depth queries about his preferred style of play and tactical awareness, why other countries have lined up a glut of friendly matches and yet Cambodia seem intent with just a couple of warm-up games, and so on. Not so in Cambodia, where the sports press is toothless, inept and blatantly couldn't give a shit unless there's something in it for them. Take the Phnom Penh Post for example, who are only interested in tennis and coverage of the Olympics on the back of sponsorship from Naga-World - apparently the best integrated business, leisure and entertainment hub in Indochina - my foot. They finally got around to mentioning that the AFC President's Cup finals have been awarded to Tajikistan in today's edition, after the announcement was made last Wednesday. Pathetic.