The stench of match-fixing

One of the UK's biggest-selling and most influential newspapers carried a story of football match-fixing allegations in Cambodia in their edition today, though it hasn't been deemed interesting enough for the Cambodian press, aside from a one-liner in the Phnom Penh Post a few days after the 2nd leg match was played. Here's what The Telegraph had to say about the recent World Cup matches between Cambodia and Laos.

World Cup 2014: Shadow of alleged match-fixing allegations already haunting competition - by Paul Kelso, The Telegraph

The preliminary draw for Brazil's World Cup took place on Saturday but already the shadow of alleged match-fixing has touched the 2014 qualifying tournament. The threat of fixing was highlighted by Fifa president Sepp Blatter prior to the draw in Rio and Telegraph Sport can disclose that one of the early rounds of Asian qualifying has been internally investigated following allegations of manipulation.

Fifa investigators have been alerted to unusual betting patterns in connection with the two-legged tie between Cambodia and Laos in the first round of the Asian Football Confederation qualifying zone. Both countries were eliminated before the preliminary draw in Rio, but the case highlights the rash of match-fixing allegations that have touched teams in more than 50 countries.

The first game in Phnom Penh on June 29 was won 4-2 by Cambodia, with the return in Vientiane on July 3 won by Laos 6-2 after extra time, enough for them to progress to the second round. The second leg was followed by accusations in Cambodia that the game was manipulated, and Telegraph Sport understands that data from betting monitoring software, including the Early Warning System used by Fifa, has highlighted unusual patterns, particularly in the first game.

The last goal in that game, scored by Cambodia in the 88th minute, attracted highly unusual betting patterns. With 86 minutes gone Cambodia were five-to-one on to score again on Asian handicap markets, an extreme price. According to footage of the game on YouTube, Cambodia had two goals disallowed in the last six minutes, after 84 and 86 minutes, and Laos had a penalty appeal turned down in the 88th minute shortly before Cambodia’s Samel Nasa scored.

The second leg finished 4-2 to Laos after 90 minutes, with two further goals in extra time sealing their progress to the second round, where they lost to China 13-3 on aggregate. Fifa would not comment on whether the case was part of its ongoing investigation into match fixing. In a statement Fifa said: “We cannot confirm or deny any specific investigation taking place on these matches”.

The Football Federation of Cambodia carried out an internal investigation after receiving allegations that the games might have been manipulated, but has found no evidence of match-fixing. In an emailed response to questions May Tola, the deputy general-secretary of the FFC, said that it had heard “unconfirmed rumours” about the tie, and that supporters had made accusations after the disappointment of the second-leg defeat. Some had accused players of result manipulation,” Tola wrote. "Immediately after the team returned home, our FFC leadership has instructed the federation to form an investigation commission to find out if there is any irregularities as rumoured accusation [sic]. After thorough examination and discussion, the Commission has found no substantial evidence or suspicion that the match had been manipulated by players or whosoevers [sic] within the team.”

The acting president of the Asian Football Confederation told Telegraph Sport that while he was not aware of any direct evidence that the Cambodia v Laos games were “not genuinely contested”, the allegations underlined “the destructive nature of match-fixing”. Zhang Jilong, of China, who became acting president when Mohamed bin Hammam was suspended by Fifa, described match-fixing as a “pandemic” in world football, and is hoping to open a dedicated Fifa security office in Asia next year.

Jilong said: “There is no doubt that match-fixing is a real danger to football’s ethical values and needs to be completely eliminated to preserve the sanctity of the sport. AFC will not rest until this plague is completely stamped out in Asia.”

Asia is considered the hub of match-fixing and Jilong is in talks with Fifa’s security department to open a dedicated security office in Asia by the start of 2012. The latest concerns come as Fifa prepares to take disciplinary action against six match officials involved in two notorious internationals staged in Antalya, Turkey, in February, in which all seven goals were penalties. The referees, from Hungary and Bosnia, have been summoned to appear at a disciplinary hearing in Zurich next week, though none is expected to attend having already been banned for life by their home federations.

Postscript: The local Phnom Penh Post newspaper carried the fact that the Federation in Cambodia were forming a Commission soon after the team returned from the heavy 2nd leg defeat but then it went as quiet as a pin-drop, until May Tola's statement to The Telegraph. To be honest any match-fixing allegations might've been raised after the 2nd leg rather than the 1st leg that was played in Phnom Penh, so the focus on the betting patterns in the first match are an interesting development. There were indeed two 'goals' ruled out very near the end of the match and a claim for a penalty turned down, but for that to be part of a match-fixing allegation, then the involvement of both teams and the match officials surely would've been required. Too often, the stench of match-fixing lingers on, without anyone actually providing evidence. It's so easy to allege match-fixing but unless there's clear evidence, I say shut the fcuk up.

Players must still dream

One of the best footy bloggers in this neck of the woods, Antony Sutton, also pens a regular column in the Jakarta Globe daily newspaper in Indonesia. His column this week is on a topic close to my heart, the hard-to-get-my-head-around belief around these parts that the SEA Games is a more prestigious tournament than the FIFA World Cup. In his article he includes quotes from current Phnom Penh Crown coach David Booth and former Cambodian head coach Scott O'Donell.

If the World Cup Is Not The Main Thing, Players Still Must Dream - by Antony Sutton

One of the first things Djohar Arifin Husin, the new head of the Indonesian Football Association, said in his new post was that the priority for what remains of this year is success at the Southeast Asian Games. With World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, a tricky home and away affair against Turkmenistan, it struck many fans as odd that the organization, known as the PSSI, would prioritize an Under 23 tournament instead of the more global tournament. Indonesia, though, is not alone in deciding that the world’s biggest competition, for all its recent travails, isn’t worth the effort. The South Korean coach of the Cambodian national team, Lee Tae-hoon, also made similar comments recently.

Surely, football fans relish the chance to see their national teams go toe to toe against some of the region’s powerhouses. The SEA Games, after all, are held every two years against the same old teams. But former Cambodian coach, Australian Scott O’Donell, views things differently. He said that every game was important — even friendly games. “Every time the players put on the national shirt, I tried to emphasize the importance of playing for their country. If I had prioritized the importance of respective games, then I would have been contradicting what I had been telling them,” he said.

A few years back, when Charlton Athletic was in the English Premier League, then-manager Alan Curbishley once said that for him the important games were not against the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea because he expected to lose those games. For him, it was far more important to rise to the challenge against the other teams in the lower half of the table. But is football that simple? Can players — and by extension coaches and managers — just decide when to turn on the style and when to coast?

English coach David Booth has spent several years working in Southeast Asia with both club and national sides and he is clear on this point. An FA president, Booth said, once told him that he wanted the team to place second in order to avoid playing a really tough opponent in the next round. Booth tried to explain that “our team was not able to play and decide how many goals to score.” But, after serving time as a coach in the region, Booth can empathize. He says he has “come to understand that face is very important here. As such, worrying about playing stronger teams creates a feeling of not wanting to play them and get beaten badly,” he explains. But Booth retains his Englishness and says he wants to win every game his team plays. “As a coach I hope to win any game my team performs in at any level. That is the English combative style which I am happy to have,” he said.

Then again, despite there being only eight or 10 nations involved in the SEA Games or its older brother, the AFF Cup, there are still no guarantees, a point made by O’Donell, referring to Thailand’s implosion in 2010 when they were considered favorites by many. This weekend sees countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore take their first steps on the road to Brazil in 2014. Chances are high none of them will make the long journey all the way to the World Cup, but for the players involved, they will still have their dreams.

Football allowed us to dream. Coaches and officials should allow the players their dreams of stardom and glory. Without dreams, football loses one more piece of magic that separates it from other sports.

• You can read Antony's Jakarta Casual Blog here.

International news

The Cambodian U-16 squad, sorry I misspelt that, it should read the Preah Khan Reach U-16s + 4 others, are off to Laos to take part in the AFF U-16 Youth Championship and will come up against the same age level teams of the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Singapore in their group. Whilst the Preah Khan Reach presence in the full national team was pretty overwhelming, the U-16s and for that matter, all age levels, are full to brimming with players from the Military Police-backed club. If you didn't know it, you'd think they were the only club side in the country. Their players obviously impressed the U-16s national team coach who is Japanese, Daisuke Yoshioka, and who appeared to guarantee success in an article in local Khmer-language media recently. Nice to hear someone bragging about their team, it's good to have confidence, so we'll be waiting for the coach and his Preah Khan Reach boys to bring the cup back to Cambodia. If only it was that easy. When the Cambodian U-13s went to the AFC U-13 Festival of Football in Malaysia recently, they too had a squad overflowing with Preah Khan Reach youngsters but the results were so poor that nothing appeared in print after the tournament was over. Here's hoping.

Goals were the order of the day in the 2nd legs of the FIFA World Cup 2014 1st qualifying round, with Vietnam's Le Cong Vinh hitting five, to add to his hat-trick from the 1st leg, as his country demolished Macau 7-1 away from home, and 13-1 over the two legs. We already know that Laos whacked six goals past Cambodia in the 2nd leg to win 8-6 on aggregate, to turn around the result after they were beaten 4-2 in Phnom Penh a few days earlier. The official attendance in Vientiane was 9,000. China await Laos in Round 2. The Philippines defeated Sri Lanka 4-0 to progress, whilst Malaysia held their breath, losing 3-2 in Taiwan, but slip through on the away goals rule after a 2-1 success at home. They will meet Singapore next. Also scraping through were Myanmar who beat Mongolia 2-1 on aggregate. Nepal whammed in five in Timor Leste without reply to stroll through, whilst Palestine also progressed past Afghanistan, 3-1 on aggregate. Biggest crowd of the day was the 18,000 that watched Myanmar beat Mongolia 2-0. Eight round one winners join 22 higher ranked teams – including Singapore, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia – for home-and-away matches in the second round of the Asian qualifiers, to be played later this month. The 15 victors from those ties will join Asian giants Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Australia in the third round.

Finally, nice if you can get it...the Chinese real estate company Dalian Wanda is coughing up more than $77 million over the next three years to boost China's under-performing football teams. It'll include hiring world class foreign coaches and sending young players to Europe for training. The sport has lurched from crisis to crisis in recent years with corruption scandals, match-fixing and violence on and off the pitch to blame. The good news for China is that they now have Bojan Hodak in their coaching ranks at Shandong, the likeable Croatian having left Phnom Penh Crown just over a month ago.

Fall from grace

The Cambodian starting XI v Laos: Back Row LtoR: Mic, Sopanha, Rithy, Tiny, Laboravy, Rady. Front Row: Chhoeurn, El Nasa, Pancharong, Sokumpheak, Sothearath [pic Ung Chamroeun]

Final score: Laos 6 Cambodia 2 (aet). The worst possible start for the Cambodian national team in Laos in their World Cup qualifier, with the home side taking the lead on 19 minutes through Lamnao Singto, restored to the attack, despite looking a bit overweight in the first leg, when he came on as a late sub. Cambodia led4-2 from the 1st leg and needed to keep Laos quiet at the start of this 2nd leg. They didn't. Laos went two-ahead on the half-hour when lanky striker Khampheng Sayavutthi netted a header to put Laos level on aggregate and ahead on the away goals rule. But Cambodia came steaming back with a goal from Chin Chhoeurn to make it 2-1 on the stroke of half-time. Cambodia lead 5-4 on aggregate. 45 minutes to go. This is making me dizzy. Laos scored again 2 minutes into the 2nd half through Souliya Syphasay to make it 3-1 and 5-5 on aggregate, with Laos ahead on away goals, again. Why do we insist on conceding early goals? On 55 minutes Lamnao Singto grabbed his 2nd and Laos' fourth to go 4-1 ahead though if Cambodia score again, it will be all-square, on aggregate. Talk about topsy-turvy, edge of the seat stuff. Would you believe it, Cambodia have scored a 2nd, through Kouch Sokumpheak on 75 minutes and though it's 4-2 to Laos it's 6-6 on aggregate, and away goals all square. There's got to be more to come...in fact there will be 30 more minutes with extra time already underway. 4 minutes into extra time and Laos storm back in front, 5-2, through Visay Phaphouvanin, who replaced Lamnao Singto a minute before the end of normal time. That's what I mean about substitutes that can change a match. On 112 minutes Sysomvang Kanlaya, another sub, netted from the penalty spot to make it 6-2 to Laos and to end Cambodia's World Cup hopes for another four years. [This article was updated as the match progressed].
The Cambodian starting eleven saw Sam El Nasa replace Tum Saray from the 1st leg team, so the line-up looked like this (with subs): Mic, Rady (Raksmey 49), Pancharong, Tiny, Rithy, Sothearath, Sopanha (PM Udom 75), Chhoeurn, Laboravy, El Nasa (Dina 54), Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Vichet, Vichheka, Saray, Souhana. Bookings: Mic, Rithy, Sothearath. The Cambodian bench looked very thin with no-one that could change the game, with the coach's squad selection coming back to haunt him.

The Cambodian coach, Lee Tae-Hoon, has now presided over the abject failure at the first hurdle in the Suzuki Cup, the AFC Challenge Cup and now the World Cup. That takes some beating as the most piss-poor record of a national team coach and yet he had the opportunity to call on players performing in a better standard of football than ever before, and refused to do it, so he has no-one to blame but himself. His stated desire to concentrate on the U-23 team (with another BIDC Cup and the SEA Games in his sights later this year) will not go down well with the national team fans. To imply that he wasn't interested in the World Cup competition should not be forgiven or forgotten by the fans. To me that simply stinks. To prepare so poorly for the World Cup games with two scraping-the-barrel friendlies, was crap in the extreme. But if you think that his dismal record will force the football federation into making a change, then think again. The coach's salary is paid for by the Korean FA, so don't expect any change to the status quo. Improving the country's international football image isn't worth spending money on in the eyes of those in charge. I could prattle on longer, but I've been identifying the weaknesses of the selection policy and so on for a while now, and whilst the first leg victory gave everyone a lift, it was back to what we've been accustomed to in the 2nd leg. How a team that could barely get into our box in the 1st leg, could score six in the 2nd leg is just one question we should be posing the coach in the after-match inquest. The only quote I've seen from Lee Tae-Hoon so far is; "Our team found it hard to control their emotions when travelling abroad." Ah, so that's the reason for our World Cup debacle. Nothing to do with your selection, tactics and coaching ability then.

Hours to go

Just a couple of hours to go before Cambodia take on Laos in the Lao capital of Vientiane with a great chance of progressing into the 2nd qualifying round of the FIFA World Cup. Cambodia lead 4-2 after the 1st leg last Wednesday and a repeat of their last game in Laos, a goal-less draw in the Suzuki Cup last October, would go down very nicely indeed. A two-legged affair against China later this month, who are 100 places above them in the FIFA world rankings, awaits the eventual winners. The game isn't being screened live on Cambodian television so it'll have to be the internet for up-to-the-minute reports from the match. Whilst I'm waiting, I had a look at the stats for the first leg matches played last week and was surprised, and pleased, to see that the 15,000 crowd (published by the FFC after the game) that turned up at the Olympic Stadium and roared the team to victory, was the third highest attendance in the 1st round. Malaysia, who have been the most successful Asean team in the past two years, attracted 45,000 fans to see their 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei, whilst Vietnam, another hot-bed of football fanatics, had 20,000 for their 6-0 demolition of Macau. Nepal had 9,000 against Timor Leste (and then 15,000 in today's return leg), 5,300 saw Bangladesh beat Pakistan 3-0, 4,000 in Sri Lanka for their 1-1 draw with Philippines and another 5,000 at the Afghanistan v Palestine tie. The lowest crowd, as you might expect, was at the Mongolia v Myanmar encounter, just 3,500.

Reliving the action

For those who want to relive the action from Wednesday's World Cup success for Cambodia, here's some of the action taken from the CTN coverage of the game and stuck on YouTube by a fan. It's not fantastic quality, but you get the picture so to speak. For those who weren't at the game, the crowd were not singing Ole-Ole, that's been annoyingly tagged on. From watching these highlights, Kouch Sokumpheak played even better than I first thought. Put a national team shirt on the boy and he plays like a man possessed.

2nd leg looms

The Cambodian team sing the national anthem before the game begins

This afternoon the Cambodian national team fly out to Vientiane to prepare for the 2nd leg of their 2014 FIFA World Cup 1st round qualifying double-header against Laos. The ultra-friendly Lao team went to sleep in the 2nd half of last Wednesday's match and allowed Cambodia to take a 4-2 win into the second leg to be played on Sunday. Those two goals that Laos did score, two superb free-kicks, might come back to haunt Cambodia if Laos get a headstart in front of their own baying fans in the return match. Away goals count double in the event of tied scores. It will be a tough place to go as Cambodia experienced in the SEA Games in 2009. However, Cambodia's record against Laos in full internationals in recent times is pretty good. There's the 4-2 last week for starters and then the last time the two teams met in Vientiane, in October last year in the Suzuki Cup, the teams fought out a goal-less draw. Back in 2008 Cambodia recorded another success, 3-2 at home, again in the Suzuki Cup. So the omens may favour Cambodia, who lie two places above Laos in the FIFA rankings as well. Traditionally however, Cambodia are not very successful on their travels, it's often a trait for Cambodian sportsmen when travelling outside the boundaries of their own country, and is something they need to overcome if they want to meet China in the 2nd qualifying round. That carrot is big enough for the Cambodians to bust a gut to qualify, as they did in the 2nd half last Wednesday, when the large crowd at the Olympic Stadium really got behind their team and roared them to victory. Kouch Sokumpheak will be a big player again for Cambodia, with his experience and the two displays he's put into the last two serious matches for the national team showing what an important asset he is to the side. Skipper Ouk Mic will have to forget the devastating free-kick he conceded in the 1st half last Wednesday and Cambodia will need to mind their tackles anywhere near the edge of the box, to prevent Manolom Phomsouvanhn having a crack at goal. We've already seen the damage he can do. It's sure to be a tight game and if coach Lee Tae-Hoon starts with Lay Raksmey and Sam El Nasa instead of Touch Pancharong and Tum Saray, then Cambodia will have an even better chance of success.
I've just heard that only 18 players will be making the trip to Laos, so that's eleven starters and seven substitutes. It sounds like the football federation have gone to Laos on the cheap. For the 1st leg in Phnom Penh, the size of the playing squad was 23 players, with 12 players sat on the bench, giving the coach a series of options. In light of the reduced travelling party, his choice of substitutions for the 2nd leg is considerably reduced. Those not making the trip are Phoung Narong, Say Piseth, Suon Veasna, Phuong Soksana and Soeung Chan Vanno. The question must be asked - why? In the meantime, here are some more pictures from the 4-2 first leg success.

Ouk Mic (yellow) leads out the Cambodian team at Olympic Stadium

The players line-up before the handshakes

The national team coaches including Lee Tae-Hoon (far left) and his assistant Ieng Saknida (4th from left)

LtoR: Tieng Tiny, Pheak Rady, Chhun Sothearath, Sok Rithy

LtoR: Sok Rithy, Sun Sopanha, Khuon Laboravy, Touch Pancharong, Kouch Sokumpheak

LtoR: Touch Pancharong, Kouch Sokumpheak, Chin Chhoeurn, Tum Saray, Ouk Mic

Exchanging national team pennants between the two captains

The Cambodian pre-match huddle

A wave to the fans after their 4-2 win

The Cambodian players at the end of their 4-2 success against Laos

Basking in success

Cambodia line up for the national anthem before the kick-off

World Cup matches don't get much better than this. The Cambodian national team did exactly what their fans wanted them to do, they beat Laos 4-2 and they beat them with room to spare, though the tie is definitely not over and Cambodia have a tough task ahead of them to achieve qualification to the next round to face China. They may have a two-goal cushion but Laos won't role over as easily as they did in today's 2nd half in front of a baying home crowd in Vientiane on Sunday. Anyway, that's in the future, for the moment let's bask in the present with a look at this afternoon's game. Though I didn't agree with South Korean coach Lee Tae-Hoon's team selection policy, the side he put out today did a great job in recovering from an early set-back and going onto win with a 2nd half performance that had everyone on their feet in the packed stands at the Olympic Stadium. And if it hadn't rained, there would've been a lot more watching as well. I reckon the crowd was about 15,000 strong and they certainly got their money's worth. On a wet surface, Laos drew first blood on 10 minutes when Ouk Mic in the Cambodian goal was simply beaten by the pace of a stunning free-kick from 18 year old Manolom Phomsouvanh, who fired his 25-yard drive just over Mic's head and under the cross-bar. It was a tough pill to swallow for the usually reliable Mic, the Cambodian skipper. Three minutes later, Kouch Sokumpheak burst past a bevy of defenders into the box, only to see Khuon Laboravy snatch at the chance and fire wildly over. On the half-hour mark, it was Sokumpheak again causing problems for the visiting defence when he rounded Lao keeper Chintana Souksavath but found the angle too acute to lob into the net, his attempt sailing across the face of goal, only to see teammate Chin Chhoeurn do exactly the same from the other side. Four minutes later, Lee Tae-Hoon made a tactical switch, replacing Tum Saray with Sam El Nasa and the move would later pay rich dividends. On 38 minutes, that man Sokumpheak was in the thick of it again, latching onto Laboravy's pass but finding no way past Souksavath at the near post. The half-time whistle came with Cambodia continuing to apply pressure without reward, with Laos looking composed on the ball and passing their way around the Cambodian midfield.

Cambodia came out after the break with purpose and it took just seven minutes for the home side to send their fans into a frenzy with the equaliser. Sam El Nasa floated a pass to Laboravy on the left-hand side of the area and he tussled with two Laos defenders, came out on top and whacked his shot past Souksavath from eight yards out. Cambodia continued to press, Chhoeurn had a shot blocked by his own teammate El Nasa before the substitute sent the massive crowd into raptures on 58 minutes. Laboravy was inch perfect in his delivery through the middle and El Nasa took the ball in his stride and fired past Souksavath from the edge of the penalty box with calmness and precision. Cambodia were now in front but their lead lasted just two minutes. On the hour, Tieng Tiny gave away a free kick 22 yards out and the pocket-rocket Manolom Phomsouvanh stepped up to deliver his trademark dead-ball strike with such power that Ouk Mic had no chance as the ball arrowed into the far corner. Two exquisite free-kicks by the teenage Lao winger. Rather than feel sorry for themselves, Cambodia upped their game again and Sokumpheak had another near post shot blocked by the Lao stopper Souksavath, before he made no mistake thirty seconds later. With 68 minutes on the clock, Sokumpheak snuck behind the Laos defence, moving onto a Laboravy pass, composed himself and flicked his right-foot shot wide of the keeper and into the net for 3-2. The crowd were back on their feet and dancing for joy.

Both teams made changes, but Cambodia had enough in the tank to keep possession with Sokumpheak in his element, delivering neat and incisive passes whenever Cambodia eased out of their own half. With three minutes left, the Phnom Penh Crown striker looked to have sealed it when he headed in Phuong Soksana's cross but a linesman's flag was fluttering in the breeze and the crowd sat back down again. But only for a minute as Sokumpheak weaved his way to the bye-line, sent across an inch-perfect center which Sam El Nasa despatched from five yards out to put the icing on the cake and leave the Cambodian fans almost delirious with pleasure. It was a wonderful comeback for the home team that should fill them with confidence ahead of the away leg in Vientiane at the weekend. Cambodia's coach Lee Tae-Hoon refused to pull out any individuals for praise at the after-match press conference, preferring instead to talk about the team as a whole, though it wouldn't take a genius to identify that Kouch Sokumpheak was head and shoulders above anyone else on the Olympic Stadium pitch this afternoon. To be honest I couldn't understand a word of what the South Korean coach said in his comments to the press and I was straining my ears to catch every word. Laos' Austrian coach Hans Peter Schaller blamed his team's defeat on individual mistakes, too many young players, missing six key players and; "we made it too easy for Cambodia in the 2nd half, after we controlled the first half. If we cannot beat Cambodia at home, we don't deserve anything." Roll on Sunday and more of the same please Cambodia.
Cambodia line-up: Mic, Rady, Pancharong (Raksmey 86), Tiny, Rithy, Sothearith, Sopanha, Chhoeurn (Soksana 82), Saray (El Nasa 34), Laboravy, Sokumpheak. Subs not used: Vichet, Vichheka, Piseth, Dina, PM Udom, Narong, Souhana, Chan Vanno, Veasna.

The starting XI for Cambodia: Back Row LtoR: Rady, Sopanha, Tiny, Rithy, Laboravy, Mic. Front Row; Sothearith, Chhoeurn, Pancharong, Saray, Sokumpheak

Two of Cambodia's heroes, Crown teammates, Kouch Sokumpheak (10) and Tieng Tiny (4)

The Cambodian bench during the national anthems

The Laos starting XI will be looking for blood on Sunday

Cambodia's coach Lee Tae-Hoon expresses himself in the after-match press conference - though I didn't understand a word of it!

Weak in the extreme

On Wednesday, the Cambodian national football team meet Laos at the Olympic Stadium in a 1st round FIFA World Cup qualifying match. It's the first of two legs and the winners will go onto meet China next month. This is the big one. It's the World Cup, the most important competition on the planet. It comes around once every 4 years. And if Cambodia can defeat Laos over two legs - the away game in Vientiane is on Sunday 3 July - they will play in China on 23 July and back in Phnom Penh on 28 July. That in itself is a big enough prize, to meet one of the world's super-powers on the international stage. A team lying 100 places above Cambodia in the World Rankings (China are in 77th spot). This is very important. Cambodia needs every ounce of talent as well as a dose of good luck to defeat Laos, who lie two places above Cambodia in the rankings, but to do it, Cambodia needs its best eleven on the pitch. So my gripe with Cambodia's South Korean head coach, Lee Tae-Hoon, is why hasn't he picked the best players that Cambodia has at it's disposal. Anyone with any knowledge of Cambodian football will tell you that at least half a dozen players, who are amongst the country's best, are not in his squad for Wednesday's game. Even if Cambodia win, and they should, as they have home advantage and the teams are closely matched, on paper at least, it will not hide the fact that the coach is taking a huge risk with Cambodia's international future. The worrying comments coming out of the national coaching team are that they are not particularly interested in progressing in the World Cup and are looking ahead towards the SEA Games later this year (and the BIDC Cup before that). Why on earth they cannot seek to progress on both fronts is something that really pains me, and should pain all right-minded Cambodian football fans. During the coach's tenure we've already failed to reach the final stages of the Suzuki Cup and the Challenge Cup competitions. To ignore the likes of Khim Borey, currently playing in the Thai Premier League, as well as Keo Sokngorn and Chan Rithy, also plying their trade in the same neighbouring country, as well as home-based players like Sun Sovannrithy, San Narith, Chan Chaya, Sou Yaty and Oum Kumpheak amongst others, is something that many fans simply don't understand. Instead, with eyes firmly set on the SEA Games, the 25-man squad picked for Wednesday's match includes players who may or may not be okay at U-21 level in the future but are simply not good enough at full international level right now. Add to that, just 4 players have been selected from the C-league's top two teams, Phnom Penh Crown and Naga, and they all come from Crown, whilst the preparation for the game has been weak in the extreme with just one passable friendly against the Malaysian Olympic squad. That quite simply is not good enough as preparation for the important task of World Cup qualification, it's effectively treating the competition, and the fans with contempt.
The Cambodian 25-man squad is as follows: Preah Khan Reach (8) - Ouk Mic, Lay Raksmey, Sok Rithy, Khuon Laboravy, Tum Saray, Suon Veasna, Sam El Nasa, Prak Mony Udom; National Defense (5 ) - Oum Vichet, Pheak Rady, Soeung Chan Vanno, Phuong Soksana, Chin Chhoeurn; Phnom Penh Crown (4) - Tieng Tiny, Phoung Narong, Sun Sopanha, Kouch Sokumpheak; National Police (4) - Touch Pancharong, Say Piseth, Tith Dina; Kirivong (2) - In Vichhela, Sosa Nasiet; Prek Pra (2) - Mat Hasan, Sos Souhana.

A wide berth

The Cambodian national team meet Laos in a FIFA World Cup 1st qualifying match next Wednesday, less than a week away. That's right, the World Cup, the most important competition for any international team on the planet. But not in the eyes of the Cambodian football federation and their South Korean coach. In their preparation they have played the Malaysian U-23 Olympic team. Yes, you are not mistaken, one meaningless friendly. Today they play their second, even more meaningless practice match, against a team from one of the provinces in the Mekong Delta. Does it get any more piss-poor than this? The contempt for the country's football fans who would dearly love to see Cambodia win World Cup matches is shocking. Instead of pitting themselves against some of the region's international teams or even top quality club opposition in Thailand, Singapore or Vietnam, the federation have got a game against a Vietnamese 1st Division team. And in the run-up to the game, there is total confusion about the correct name of the opposition. I wouldn't be surprised if a local pub team turns up for the game, still pissed from the night before. It's that level of pathetic arrangements that are the hallmark of the federation. There has been confusion about whether it's the Kien Giang provinicial U-23 team, or Kien Giang FC (no such team exists) or Kienlongbank Kien Giang, who are the most likely opponents, as they are on a mid-season break from their Division 1 duties. Whoever it is, it's effectively scraping the barrel type preparation for the national team ahead of their World Cup double-header but it's in line with the thinking process of the South Korean Coach of the Cambodian team, Lee Tae-Hoon, who couldn't care less about the World Cup. He will tell anyone who asks him that his focus is on the SEA Games in November. Beating Laos over the home and away legs and going onto meet China in the World Cup doesn't interest him. Whatever the focus, a game against a minor team from the Mekong Delta isn't something that will get my juices flowing, so I'll give today's game a wide berth. Added to that, no Phnom Penh Crown players will be appearing either (so I was told). I've much more important things to do. I'll bring you the result later, but does anyone really care?
Postscript;
Well, at least the Cambodian national team didn't lose in their practice match against the visiting team from the Vietnamese 2nd tier of football from Kien Giang province. Tum Saray scored twice before the visitors got one back. Chin Chhoeurn netted just before the break and them Phuong Soksana and Sam El Nasa wrapped up a 5-1 win. A little bird tells me that the four Crown players in the national squad played a part in the game, when I was informed they would be rested ahead of our important league match on Saturday. I am very unhappy to hear this news. It flies in the face of all reason. This was a pointless match against minor opposition. If the players are injured or tired for Crown's important game in two days time, then the FFC and the national coach should be held accountable. I was hopping mad after Monday's performance, and now I'm seething again.

No brainer

I've just heard some disturbing news coming out of the Cambodian national team camp. The country's football team has two very important FIFA World Cup 1st qualifying round matches against neighbours Laos, home and away, later next month. In Phnom Penh on 29 June and in Vientiane on 3 July, to be precise. Both matches are winnable if Cambodia puts out its strongest team. However, I get the feeling that Lee Tae-Hoon, the South Korean coach in charge of the national team isn't taking the World Cup competition too seriously. I've heard that he's not going to bother recalling two or three of the country's best players back from their clubs in Thailand for the games and will instead use home-based players. So that means for example, Khim Borey and Keo Sokngorn will not be considered - though both have been sidelined with injuries in recent weeks - for the most important matches of 2011. His thinking is that players like the Army's Phuong Soksana and Chhin Chhoeurn are good enough, though neither rate when up against the two players now plying their trade in Thailand in my opinion. The reward for beating Laos will be a qualifying match-up against China, which should be reason enough to bust a gut to field your strongest line-up. Not so in the eyes of the South Korean coach it seems. In addition, the friendly game against the Malaysian Olympic squad, which will be played in Phnom Penh on Tuesday 7 June, will be used by the coach to suss out the strength of his Under-23 possibles ahead of the SEA Games later in the year (in Indonesia, 11-22 November). Despite its proximity to the World Cup ties, I've been told that the coaching staff believe the SEA Games are more important that the World Cup matches and so the main focus this year will be on the U-23s, who will participate in the SEA Games. That is, once the coaching staff have gone through the team rosters to work out who is eligible and then to get them together in a training camp for months on end. They may as well just select the Preah Khan Reach team and be done with it. Our record in the SEA Games isn't one to write home about either and in most people's eyes the World Cup would be the competition to give your main focus too. I await the Laos matches with keen interest, especially after the national team's failures in both the AFF Suzuki Cup and AFC Challenge Cup under the stewardship of Lee Tae-Hoon over the past nine months.

A pin drop

It's all gone deathly quiet at the Cambodian football federation this month. I can hear a pin drop as far as the just released FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings are concerned. It was only a few weeks ago that the FFC were jumping up and down and shouting from the rooftops that the Cambodian national team had moved to an all-time highest ranking of 154th and the national coach, Lee Tae-Hoon even suggested that they were seeking to break into the top 100. Get real coach. The abject failure to get through the AFC Challenge Cup group matches played in the Maldives has seen Cambodia sink back down to 169th, that's a fall of 15 places in a month. The three teams that inflicted defeats on us, Maldives, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, have all shot up the rankings table, leaving Cambodia just six places ahead of their next opponents, Laos. The next big test for Cambodia, and they need to succeed or face a ruinous stint under the leadership of the South Korean coach, will be in the 1st qualifying round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with the two legs to be played in Phnom Penh on 29 June, and in Vientiane on 3 July. The carrot of meeting China in the next round will certainly focus the intentions of both teams, who played out a goal-less draw in the Suzuki Cup in Vientiane in October last year, when they last met. The national coach has already called for a heavy training programme ahead of the two legs, following the Khmer New Year break this week, though he seems to forget that all of the Metfone C-League teams have another seven league games to fit in during the next two months, before the mid-season break kicks-in in mid June. So his training time with the squad members will be pretty limited and he'll have to seek the goodwill of the club coaches to ensure that his strict training regime doesn't interfere with the league programme. In addition, he would be well advised to get on the phone to Khim Borey in Sisaket, as well as on bended knee, to secure the services of the striker who is playing at the highest level of football of any current Cambodian player. And he can add Phnom Penh Crown utility player San Narith to his wish-list as well. To make certain of that win against Laos, they will need their strongest line-up.

Plum draw

The draw for the opening stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup has been made in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon. It's the first qualifying round of the Asian region of the competition and Cambodia have been drawn home and away against our neighbours from Laos. There are 16 teams in the 1st qualifying round and the matches will be played, in Phnom Penh on 29 June, and in Vientiane on 3 July. On paper, according to the FIFA rankings, then Cambodia at 154th will have too much for Laos at 170th, but believe me, that won't be the case. Laos will be an extremely difficult opponent but the promise of a two-legged match against China in Round 2 will be a prize that should see both teams busting a proverbial gut to get through. China are the 76th ranked team in the world and the 5th best in Asia, so that would be a plum tie to get, with matches on 23 and 28 July. The games against Laos will be held during the mid-season break for the Metfone C-League which kicks-off this coming Saturday. The last meeting between the two countries was a goal-less draw in the Suzuki Cup in Vientiane in October last year.

World Cup & C-League fever

Tomorrow (Wednesday) Cambodia will get to hear who they meet in the 1st qualifying round of the Asian section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 43 Asian countries are vying for the four automatic places in the finals. Cambodia, as one of the 16 lowest ranked teams in Asia, will be in one of eight two-team groups for home and away matches on 29 June and 3 July this year. Eight winners from the 1st round will join 22 higher ranked teams in round 2, again with home and away matches on 23 and 28 July. Cambodia will be hoping to reach Round 2 at least. The 16 teams, with their Asian World Cup ranking, are as follows: 28. Malaysia, 29. Afghanistan, Cambodia, 31. Nepal, 32. Bangladesh, 33. Sri Lanka, Vietnam, 35. Mongolia, 36. Pakistan, 37. Palestine, 38. Timor Leste, 39. Macau, 40. Chinese Taipei, Myanmar, 42. Laos, Philippines.
Yes, you read it right, Cambodia are ranked higher than Vietnam and Philippines. The former is a quirk of the ranking system, whilst the Philippines, who reached the semis of the Suzuki Cup in December and then last week progressed to the AFC Challenge Cup finals with a 3-0 win over Bangladesh, believe they may well draw Cambodia in the World Cup qualifiers. We shall see. The 1st round of the World Cup qualifiers falls during the mid-season break in the Metfone C-League, which is handy, though leaves little time for preparation of the national squad.

Talking of the C-League, it all kicks-off again this coming Saturday (2 April) when Phnom Penh Crown meet Naga Corp in the season's opening fixture at the Olympic Stadium (start 3pm). I'm eagerly awaiting that one. The football federation have changed their minds again and have scrapped the so-called Super 4 Play-offs at the end of the season, preferring instead to stick to the tried and tested first past the finishing post. The C-League were one of only a few leagues in the world who used the play-off system to determine their champions, a practice that I'm vehemently opposed to. FFC spokesperson May Tola said; "We are doing away with the play-offs. The team emerging at the top of the league table [at the end of the season] will get the champions tag." Apparently they bowed to pressure from the clubs themselves. Phnom Penh Crown have seen both sides of the play-off coin, so to speak. In 2009 they topped the league after the regular season but finished 4th in the play-offs. Last season, they flopped to 4th in the league but won the championship via the play-offs. This season they are aiming to be in top spot come the end of the season in early September.