Sam's boys thrash Brunei

Cambodia v Brunei. Back Row LtoR: Titchhy, Ravan (capt), Mesa, Baraing, Dinarong, Chanpolin. Front Row: Ponvuthy, Sodavid, Ratana, Chansopheak, Senteang - click to enlarge

Head coach Sam Schweingruber ended his team talk earlier today with the words, "let's make Cambodia proud." And it seems to have resonated with his Cambodia U-16s national team, who then went out and thrashed their U-16 opponents from Brunei 8-0 in their AFF U-16 Youth Championship tie. These results don't come around often in international football and despite the Brunei coach telling his local news media that he was confident of a semi-final place at least, his team were never in the hunt after Cambodia took the lead in the third minute through Chhuot Senteang, who went onto have a match to remember with 4 goals to his name. It was Senteang who had a cross deflected for an own goal by Mohmd Syakirin Misli to put Cambodia's further ahead on 32 minutes. The young Phnom Penh Crown striker was at it again a minute before the half-time break and then Svay Rieng's Kunthea Ravan wrapped up a 4-goal interval lead in injury time from close range. Two minutes after the restart, Senteang collected his hat-trick. Ten minutes later Ravan, who was the team captain today, scored his second and within twenty minutes, substitute Long Phearath extended it to seven with a long range effort. In the final minute there was no stopping Cambodia and in particular Senteang who collected his fourth and Cambodia's eighth. A fantastic day for Cambodia, who now meet one of the favourites, Vietnam on Saturday with a later 7.15pm kick-off, with their confidence sky-high.
Cambodia U16 line-up: Mesa, Chansopheak, Baraing (Phearath 68), Titchhy, Dinarong, Sodavid (Muslim 68), Chanpolin (Piphop 54), Ravan (capt), Ratana, Ponvuthy, Senteang. Subs not used: Samnang, Sokundara, Sovann, Sokheng, Rozak. Injured: Noeut.