47. The Mystery Man

 

It was a few days after our Hun Sen Cup victory and I was sat in my office pouring over some stats from the game. It was indeed quite a game which well and truly put EDC into the public consciousness. It has also propelled me into the Cambodian Hall of Fame as one of the best managers in the country, which was nice!

 No longer were we considered makeweights, but a force to be reckoned with and had to be taken seriously by the professional clubs. We had won the cup, but next season I wanted the league, provided we could keep hold of our best players in the Christmas transfer window. If we could come through this unscathed, plus bring in one or two new faces, then we would have a chance. My first transfer though would come a bit sooner than expected....

There was a sudden knock at the door and outside stood Nen Borey and my head of youth development, Chan Vannak, who was jigging about like a cat on a hot tin roof..

"Morning Gentle..."

"Boss, you have to come and see this," enthused my head of youth development, "This is amazing!!..."

"Woah... slow down, Nen what's going on?"

"Looks like we've acquired a new player, Jonathan. "

"New player? but I haven't clicked on the Player Search menu for ages...and the transfer window doesn't open for another month..?"

"He says he knows Mo Salah boss," 

"He knows Mo Salah?" Does he play as good as him?"

"He has a few tricks boss." replied my Assistant Manager.

"He's gonna be the Cambodian Mo Salah boss. maybe even the Cambodian Pélé!!" informed Vannak enthusiastically.

"Chan, he is not Cambodian.."

"OK, so what's the"Cambodian Pélé, who also knows Mo Salah "allegedly" doing at our training ground on a humid late October morning, thousands of miles away from Egypt or Brazil in Cambodia?"

"Come and see for yourself, Jonathan."

I trudged out onto the training ground to see an 18 year old lad of seemingly African origin playing keepy-uppy, balancing the ball on his head, doing backflips and various other skills. Stood around him watching in awe were members of our youth team and some first-teamers who had wandered across the training field to see what all the fuss was about.

As soon as the lad saw me he stopped what he was doing and knelt at my feet.

"Hello, Mr Rudd, Mr Rudd, my name is Ahmed Abdi.. I come from Somalia.. I want to come and play for you at EDC!"

Abdi was wearing what looked to be an Egyptian national shirt and pale blue shorts. On the back of the short was adorned with the name, "Salah" and a number 11.

"I beg of you please! Mr Rudd I can score lots of goals for you!"

"Please give him a chance," piped up Vannak.

I pondered for a minute or two. What to do. If I say no and he goes off to Nagaworld and turns out to be brilliant and is a constant thorn in our sides then it is something I may regret and yet if I let him stay and he turns out to be George Weah's dodgy cousin, rather than Mo Salah's protégé, then this may turn me and the club into a laughing stock. Fair play to the lad, he could do 100 keepy uppys.. but..

"Hmm, there is a saying we have back home in England... It's OK doing 100 keepy uppys and looking cool in front of your mates, but can you do it at Stoke on a cold Tuesday night in February?"

This comment seemed to cause much confusion in the ranks...

"Where is Stoke?" enquired Abdi.

"Boss, we don't get any cold days in Cambodia," piped up Chan Vannak.

"OK never mind, that's missing the point... Look OK, let's have a match, 11 v 11 and let's see what you can do, but before we do that, how did you get here? You know you can't just break into my training ground and start playing football with my players randomly, this isn't a park.."

"Mr Rudd, I am sorry about this very, rude entry to your training ground and I know this is most...errm inappropriate, but I need to play football sir..and I want to come and play for you Mr Rudd," begged Ahmed.

I pride myself on being a good judge of character, its something I inherited from my mother and my gut instinct told me that he was genuine. 

"Sir, I have travelled hundreds of miles in a boat with my family to flee my country. I travel long days without food and little water to come to Cambodia. I have five brothers and sisters I need to play football and earn money for them. Sir I watched your team win the Hun Sen Cup against Nagaworld on a TV in a shop in Phnom Penh. I knew this was the team I wanted to play for. Please give me a chance sir."

I nodded slowly. OK let's have a trial game, but before we do that, I want to ask you something."

"What sir?"

"How do you know Mo Salah?"

"Well Sir I play for my country against Egypt in World Cup Qualifier.."

"Your an international footballer?"

"Yes! I have 8 caps for my country, Somalia!"

I know Somalia are hardly a world football power and are probably on a par with Cambodia in that respect, but he has played in a World Cup Qualifier all the same, which puts him on a par with some of our first team players like Ratana, Suhana and Chanraksmey.

"We played Egypt and at the end of the game, I swapped shirts with the great Mo Salah," proudly pointing to the shirt he was wearing.

"He told me I had played well,! he beamed proudly.

"Did you win?"

"No boss, Somalia lost 5-0, Salah scored a hat-trick."

Cue a few titters from the rest of the lads.

"OK come 1st team vs U21s get yourself organised into teams. Abdi, you will play in the U21s team.

I pulled my senior defender, Maol Daravon over. to one side.

"Maol. You mark him and go in hard (but not too hard) let's see what this kid is made of.."

"Yes boss". 

The game started. The U21s knew their role to get the ball to Abdi as soon as they could.. Bloody hell! He took it round Daravon like he wasn't there, who slid into thin air and slotted it past Som in goal, all in one silky movement..

He bowed in celebration and looked towards me grinning and with his thumbs up..

Nen Borey turned to me.

"Bloody hell boss."

"See I told you!" piped up a triumphant Chan Vannak.

I puffed my cheeks out. Wow we really could have a player here...

After the game, of which Abdi scored a hat trick in a 6-3 win for the first team in an unofficial intra squad kickabout, we agreed to meet after the game to thrash out a deal. 

After explaining to him that despite our cup success, we were still only a part time club, who could only offer him an appearance fee, he accepted on the promise that he would be getting enough minutes to feed his family. Abdi would get £100 appearance fee, with a £40 goal bonis and £30 unused sub fee,

"Once you cross that white line Ahmed, you get your money, £100.."

I also had another idea. We had one remaining league fixture left, a completely pointless dead rubber against Wat Phnom at home. I was eager to give Abdi a game and another promising young player, Chhim Pheara, the so-called Cambodian wonderkid his debut too. What did we have to lose? My new signing beamed at the prospect of making his debut for EDC, a team just days earlier he had watched win the Hun Sen Cup stood barefoot on a street outside an electrical store in downtown Phnom Penh on the televisions they had on display in the window dreaming of this moment... His appearance fee would also earn him £100, enough to help him and his family start their new lives in their adopted country.

Match 32 – EDC v Wat Phnom 04/11/23

Our last league fixture of the season. I am using this as an opportunity to look at one or two players on the fringes and some promising youngsters too. I play a 4-4-2 with eleven changes from the Hun Sen Cup winning team. Wat Phnom lie in 7^th position and have punched above their weight this term, proving somewhat to be a bogey team. Abdi and young Pheara make their debuts. Makara Um gets another chance at left back.

Team: Kong Rafat, In Sambath, Sokha, Makara, Makara Um, Vannak, Pheara, Touch Van, Nhem, Abdi, Dara

Match Action

We control the opening stages and knock the ball around with confidence. Young Pheara runs at their defence and lays it off to Touch Van who has made a super over-lapping run on the right edge of the box. He shoots he scores! The ball fizzes into the corner of the net. What a finish from the young winger! 1-0 to the Hun Sen Cup Champions!

Another move involving Pheara and Touch Van ends up with the latter overhitting the cross to Dara who crosses in but Nhem fires well over. EDC have a corner now which is cleared only as far as Abdi. What’s he doing back there? The Somalian newcomer strides forward with the ball and smashes it straight into the top corner! Gooooaalll! What a strike from the debutant! Mo Salah himself would have been proud of that one! The stadium goes ballistic and there is genuine excitement about what this young man can do.

“We’ve got a player here Jonathan!” remarked Nen Borey excitedly in the dugout.

Just before half time we get a penalty for pushing on Run Sokha. Up steps captain for the day, In Sambath who fires it straight into the corner. 3-0!

Just after half time we score again. This time sub Sos Suhana fires a pinpoint cross for Abdi to tap home at the far post. What a signing he is turning out to be. 4-0! Nhem whacked the post late on and Sok Chanraksmey was given a standing ovation from EDC fans when he was introduced in the 71^st minute in what could be possibly his last appearance in an EDC shirt. A great way to finish a surprisingly successful season. Well done boys!

Final Score: EDC 4-0 Wat Phnom

 Touch Van 9

Abdi 38,53

In Sambath 46 (pen)

Final League Table

Final League Table

Final League Table

Phnom Penh Crown 64 (c)

Nagaworld 58

Khemera 51

Boeung Ket 50

EDC 44

Angkor Tiger 38

Wat Phnom 34

Chmao Khmao 32

Prek Pra 29

Chllam Samuth 28

National Police 27

Mondul Kiri 23 (R)

Solitio Angkor 19 (R)

Vishaka 13 (R)

So we finish in 5th place with 44 points and a whole 20 points behind Champions, Phnom Penh Crown. This season was always going to be one of transition, so I am not really surprised. After some bad early season results we got stronger as the season went on, culminating in winning the Hun Sen Cup. Providing we can keep this squad together in the transfer window, we should start the 2024 season with great optimism. The Police live to fight another day after being in the bottom three for most of the season, while Mondul Kiri, Solitio Angkor and Vishaka fall through the trapdoor into the Second Division. No more trips to elephant sanctuaries for us next year, unless we draw them in the cup..

Board Sets Initial Budgets

In light of my cup win the board have given me £3.2K wage budget and a whopping £7.96K to spend in the transfer market. In Cambodia though this goes a long way.

End of Season Review

            We won the Prime Minister’s Cup Yeees!!

A – The board are delighted we won the Hun Sen Cup

Top Scorer in the cup – Mat Noron  6 goals

General Stats

Biggest win – 4-0 v Wat Phnom

Goal of the Season Abdi vs Wat Phnom

Shirt Sales – 89

End of Season Awards

Fans Player of the Season – Anderson Gbayoro

Young Player of the Season – Pelap Taboula

Signing of the season – Sokundara Som (GK)

Goal Of The Season – Ahmed Abdi vs Wat Phnom

Top Goalscorer – Mat Noron 16 goals

Most Assists – Tuy Oudom 8 assists

Most Man of The Match awards – Mat Noron 4

Highest Average Rating – Anderson Gbayoro 7.20

As the sun sets on yet another Cambodian season, our friends electric can look forward to the following season with relish. Can they hold onto their best players, now once again on the radar of the professional clubs and can Rudd finally build a squad who can compete for the coveted C-League title in 2024? Also... will Ahmed Abdi become the next Pelé? Find out next time on The Ultimate World Football Manager Save!

Read  Part 48 - Start of Season 5 Here !

New to this story? Go back to the very start by clicking here! to read Part 1