68. It's All Gone A Bit Pete Tong...

 

                              Pete Tong Picture Credit: Andril Khliankin wikipedia creative commons

The Title Race Hots Up!

Despite our indifferent form we still (kind of) find ourselves still in a title race, although it is pretty tenuous to say the least! 

Top Of The Table After 21 Games

1st Angkor Tiger 46 pts

2nd Phnom Penh Crown 42

3rd EDC 39

4th Nagaworld 37

5th National Police 37

There are just five matches to go in the 2025 C-League Season and while it is unlikely we will win our inaugural C-League, we still have a chance if we win all our games and hope the Tiger and Crown drop points.

Our run in is as follows:

30^th August Nagaworld (H)

13^th September Boeung Ket (A)

4^th October Mekong Kampeuchea Uni (H)

18^th October CMAC (H)

31^st October Khemera (A)

All to play for, starting with the casino!

International Call Ups

The September International break is nearly upon us. The big news is that our young striker, Samnang Nhem has been called up to the Cambodian National team squad for the first time, along with Ouk Ratana to face Sri Lanka in a friendly and Malaysia in an Asian Cup Qualifier. Meanwhile Sihavong has been called up to the Laos National team.

Match 23 – EDC v Nagaworld 30/08/25

A match against the casino is always the biggest game of the season. They lie in fourth, we are third. Whoever wins this gets to challenge Angkor Tiger and Phnom Penh Crown for the title. Inconsistency has crept back into our season, largely due to our dodgy defence. Two of our better defenders, Ratana and Yaty are out for this one, so in comes Sihavong, who has still yet to prove himself in an EDC shirt and Tola Mao, a young defender probably not ready for the first team, but impressed in the rout of Angkor Tiger, so I’ll give him a go...  Otherwise we line up 4-2-3-1 as is the way against the bigger teams. Here goes nothing!

Team: Som, Sihavong, Tola Mao, Gbayoro, Bairaing, Vavanak, Chea Samnang, Pheara, Nhem, Taboula, Chitra

We start the game on the front foot and win a series of corners and free kicks. We then create a chance. After a Taboula free kick, an intricate passing move involving Pheara and Chitra results in the former having his fierce shot tipped over the bar. Encouraging. Then we press the suicide button. Another free kick is cleared, leaving Sun Dara a clear pathway to goal. He doesn’t disappoint the visiting fans. Completely against the run of play as well.. We hit back though. A lovely move down the left sees Bairaing on the overlap and his cross is nodded just wide by Pheara. Then Sokundara Som launches a high swirling goal kick, which Pelap Taboula latches onto and drives the ball past the keeper for a deserved equaliser. Brilliant! Route 1 football, but effective. As ever between these two sides it’s tit for tat. A Fasal free kick onto the head of Ly Vahad results in Som acrobatically tipping the ball over the crossbar. Great Save! Nagaworld start to pile on the pressure. Another Fasal free kick stings the hands of Som, while a goalmouth scramble results in the EDC goalkeeper clawing another one away around the post. One each at the break. A relatively normal game off football. Then the second half begins... Fasal plays an awkward ball up towards Sun Dara and his flick on causes mayhem in our defence as Mantornin sprints onto it seemingly from nowhere and buries it past Som into the top corner. 2-1 Nagaworld. Soon after a hopeful ball into the box from Sihavong finds Nhem who controls it and tries to wriggle free of his marker but is brought down. Up steps Pelap Taboula and sends the ball wide!!! Oh No!    From the resulting goal kick, their attack is easily cut out. Suddenly we have a counter attack. Pheara releases Samnang Nhem who runs like a gazelle down the right flank, before skipping past his man, turning inside and smacking the ball into the corner of the net. Utter brilliance from the brightest prospect in Cambodian football! As ever Nagaworld have an immediate response. A near post Fasal corner is diverted home by Yamin from a tight angle. That was a really bad goal to concede. 3-2 Nagaworld. From the kick off captain Chea Samnang drives forward with the ball. He lays it back to young Tola Mao who flights a perfect ball for Nhem to run onto. The goalkeeper has rush of blood to the head and runs out of his area to cut it out, but Nhem is too quick. The youngster cooly squares the ball to Taboula who slots the ball into the empty net. 3-3! Then from a goal kick, Tola Mao wins an important header. Nhem flicks the ball on perfectly into the path of sub Mat Noron who guides the ball past the keeper to turn things around 4-3 to EDC! In a thrilling second half, it is Nagaworld’s turn to attack. Man Ratana has a shot blocked, but the ball falls perfectly to Prak Rithy who scores a 30-yard screamer into the top corner. 4-4. I can’t keep up! We then have several chances to take the lead again. Noron blazes over when he had more time. Then we get another kick in the teeth. A Fasal free kick is swung in and that man Prak Rithy has a free header at the far post which inevitably finds the top corner 5-4 Nagaworld. We attack once again. A long passing move results in the ball finding Sihavong forward from right back. His pinpoint cross finds Mat Noron  who volleys home yet another equaliser to make it 5-5! Both sides go for the winner. Nagaworld have the better of possession, They work the ball to their left back, Darang. He is in too much space, GO TO HIM SIHAVONG..Close him d... It’s too late. He advances into the penalty area curls in a lovely ball and San Vannak hooks the ball home to break EDC hearts deep in stoppage time. 6-5 to Nagaworld. Crazy!  The final whistle goes. We are exhausted. What an amazing game. Nobody deserved to lose this one. What an advert for the C-League this was! Gutted though we lost and with it goes our faint title hopes.

Final Score EDC 5-6 Nagaworld

Taboula 21,54                                   Sun Dara 10

Nhem 50                                          Matnortin 46

                                                           Yamin 53

Noron 56,77                                     Rithy 59,75

                                                          Vannak 95

The Aftermath

Charlotte said to me afterwards that it was the best game of football she had ever seen as she consoled me after the defeat in a match nobody deserved to lose. In a rare show of friendship between the two sides we invited the Nagaworld players into our dressing room, so they could reflect on a scintillating game of football. Although we are rivals, there is a growing mutual respect between EDC and Nagaworld and a match like this brought the two clubs even closer together.

Long Savdy Tweet

EDC fan, Long Savdy summed up this match in his post match tweet.

“Can’t wait to watch that match again on one of those football nostalgia shows in twenty years time”

Suon Veasna praises Nhem

My former star, Suon Veasna took time out of his busy schedule to praise young EDC startlet Samnang Nhem and said he reminded him of another club legend, Phanny Y Rotha. The way Nhem gallops down the right flank is in my view similar to Veasna in his pomp.

Match 24 Boeung Ket v EDC

The season is over for both sides. After our thrilling defeat to Nagaworld we lie in 5^th and eight points off Angkor Tiger. I am a tad disappointed not to be challenging but in many ways it has been a season of transition I suppose both on and off the pitch. Ratana is back, but Gbayoro is suspended, so rookie, Ly Vatanak is given another chance at centre back alongside the also returning Yaty. I give a full debut to left winger Mol Ly who has impressed in both training and the reserves and so deserves his chance. Cheng Ravy also makes his competitive debut in goal to give Som a rest, as his form has dipped this season. Ket have the evergreen Brazilian, Marques up front and interestingly a Cape Verdean left winger, Carlos Dos Santos who comes from Mindelese, the same club as Aderito Graca. He seems to have settled into his adopted country better than his friend. Anyway I digress. Here’s the team..

Team: Ravy, Ratana, Yaty. Ly Vatanak, Bairang, Vavanak, Samnang, Pheara, Nhem, Taboula, Mol Ly

Match Action

The home side take the game to us and Ravy is forced into a couple of comfortable-ish early saves, but this does not bode well. Marques looks lively and Dos Santos is a threat. The inevitable happens. Vatanak clears the ball, but only as far as Mom Sotheavan, who has the freedom of the Olympic Stadium to run forward from midfield into the penalty area and slot the ball past Ravy, with no EDC player in the same post code. What a stupid goal to concede! Then further punishment. Our free kick is cleared to the dangerous Marques. He plays in Dos Santos, who slips in former EDC man, Ouch Oudom to fire confidently home for number two with just 15 minutes on the clock. This is turning out to be a miserable day already. On 24 Marques is allowed far too much time and space on the ball as he crosses low for Dos Santos to sweep home a third. I cannot believe what I am seeing. This is a dire performance..! I am so angry..

To be fair we rally. Taboula has one disallowed for offside, which further added to our frustrations, but on 36 minutes a ray of hope. Vavanak plays a great half volleyed pass into the path of Nhem, who fires it home with panache. He can’t miss at the moment, to register his 13^th goal of the season. Five minutes later we miraculously score again. Taboula’s cross is nodded home by the man of the moment, Nhem. 3-2 . Into the second half and my motivated team have the bit between their teeth. I exchange debutant Mol Ly for Noron and go for the old faithful up front of Nhem, Taboula and Noron. It nearly pays off. A slick moves plays in Noron, whose shot is brilliantly saved. Hope. Taboula then dispossesses their right back and gallops forward before producing a menacing cross which Pheara heads just over, Come on! Then we are brought down to earth with a bang. A now rare Ket breakaway results in Ly Vatanak tripping Marques in the box. Penalty. The experienced Kok Boris sends Ravy the wrong way. 4-2. They break away and score again 5-2 I can’t be bothered describing it to you, other than we were clueless! 5-2 Match please end. The game petered out into a miserable 5-2 defeat. I threw the water bottle at the players after the game. I am livid with that performance. Even Charlotte could not cheer me up after this one...

Final Score Boeung Ket 5-2 EDC

Sotheaven 13                                        Nhem37,42

Oudom 16,68

Dos Santos 25

Kok Boris 67 (pen)

EDC Set Unwanted Record

We have broken the record for the worst discipline ever in the C-League, after collecting 91 yellow cards and 3 reds. Well it shows they are getting stuck in, which is fine by me!

International Call Ups

There are now three EDC players in the Cambodian National Squad, Ouk Ratana, Samnang Nhem and Nhem Dara. They will face two away trips to Guam for a friendly and then a very tricky away trip to Pyongyang, North Korea for an Asian Cup Qualifier. Good luck with that one!

Nhem & Taboula nominated for awards

My main two strikers, Pelap Taboula and Samnang Nhem have been nominated for the Cambodian Player of the Year. Voting was cast today (although I could not vote for them) and the results will be announced shortly.

Match 25 – EDC v Mekong Kampeuchea University

Those pesky students are in town. We still have not beaten this lot in 90 minutes yet and the way we are playing at the moment, this is unlikely to change. I have an embarrassment of riches to choose from going forward, while our defence and goalkeepers are short on confidence and numbers. The students meanwhile, despite being obdurate opponents against the best in the league lie bottom of the table, but still have Suon Veasna in their ranks who will need watching. I go in for a 4-4-2 and give a return to a forgotten man, Tuy Oudom on the right flank. He is still at EDC, but has been languishing in the reserves after I decided to play a 4-3-3. Young Vibol is given another chance at right back, while Ratana switches to the left.

Team: Som, Vibol, Yaty, Gbayoro, Ratana, Vavanak, Men Samnang, Oudom, Nhem Taboula, Mony Udom

Match Action

It’s a rather scrappy affair with both teams having efforts going way over the bar. They look slightly the better side and Som acrobatically tips one over the bar. We lack spark and are shorn of confidence. We assert a bit more dominance, but fail to create anything of note. A header from Nhem is comfortably saved and the same player uncharacteristically fails to hit the target when sent through on goal by a Yaty long ball. At the other end, they look dangerous from set plays from Veasna’s deliveries, but apart from that we are marginally better, without being good. On the stroke of half time and pretty much out of nowhere they score. The ball is played to the edge of our box where striker, Sinoun hits a fizzing shot against the post and In Matnornin follows up to tap home the rebound. I lay into the team at half time. We have been pathetic. I throw on young Nhem Dara and go 4-3-3, meaning Tuy Oudom’s comeback lasted only 45 minutes. Into the second half and Nhem shows the first bit of intent and runs at his full back before curling in a decent cross for sub Dara to head straight at the keeper. Promising. The bottom of the table side dig in though and they win a free kick. Suon Veasna stands over the ball and in true Veasna style clips a clever ball to their onrushing player who guides the ball past Som. This is as miserable as a wet weekend in Withernsea.. We dominate again and score a consolation in the last minute. A long diagonal ball by young Vibol is flicked on by sub Noron to the onrushing Mony Udom who finds the corner of the net with a delicate finish and his first goal for the club. Too little too late though. Season please just end!

It’s All Got a Bit Miserable Around Here..

It’s fair to say that this campaign has not gone as well as everybody had hoped. Three defeats in a row, 6-5 against Nagaworld, the 5-2 thrashing by Boeung Ket and lastly the miserable 2-1 home defeat to those pesky students has cast a shadow over The Electricty Stadium. The last game also saw us record our lowest home attendance of my reign so far, with just 143 turning up. According to Charlotte, one of those number, the fans are frustrated by the team’s lack of progress this season and there have been some murmurings of discontent against my tactics and management. We have two matches to play out and finally we can finish this season. A big clearout in the winter transfer window is needed, along with the arrival of some new blood.. That is of course if I last that long..

International Round Up

On a brighter note, my defender, Ouk Ratana got on the scoresheet in a 4-0 friendly win over Guam. Nhem Dara also made his debut for the senior side. Unfortunately they could not keep up their winning ways on that notoriously tricky trip away to North Korea, where they succumbed to a 3-1 defeat in the Asian Nations Cup Qualifying.

Match 26 – EDC v CMAC United

Let’s just get this over with. My head is already on next season. While we are in freefall down the table in 5^th, our newly promoted opponents are doing well in 8th place and look likely to retain their top flight status next season. It’s time to blood  a few of the younger players, mixed with some experienced ones and see what we can do. I revert to a 4-3-3 which I think is our best formation. I hand debuts to right back Kouch Mol and forward, Sor Chanvirak. Makara Um re-appears at left back, while the promising Sann Dara is given a chance in central midfield.

Team: Som, Mol, Gbyoro, Vatanak, Um, Tola Mao, Dara, Men Smnang, Nhem, Dara, Chanvirak

It’s an even opening 15, but we don’t look confident. We have lost the swagger we used to have. They look the most likely and the inevitable happened when Touch Tola got down the left and put in a pinpoint far post cross for the veteran Japanese striker, Kawabata to nod home. 1-0. We equalise soon after though. It was all a bit route one, Right back Kouch Mol launched the ball forward which seemed to cause panic in the CMAC defence. Nhem Dara ran onto it and beat the keeper to the ball and poked it past him into the empty net. They return the favour. Kong Rafat (remember him) hoofs the ball downfield and Kawabata powers the ball past Som for his second goal. It’s déjà vu again. The Tola/Kawabata combination works again as the Japanese striker nods in a third. I can hear the boos coming from the EDC faithful. This is not good, not good at all. Just when I thought all was lost my young charge, Nhem Dara controls the ball about 30 yards out and fires a screamer into the top corner for 3-2. I smell another high scoring one.... again....

We knock the ball about in midfield, but the ball is cut out and magically finds it’s way to you know who, Mr Kawabata who rifles the ball into the top corner. Som could only stand and watch. Kawabata may as well be Erling Haaland right now...

I throw the water bottle several times during the half time team talk. I am furious. We are a pathetic, a dreadful side. I let them know exactly what I think.

Into the second half and I am beyond caring what happens. I am resigning after this match if this carries on. Som sends a long goal kick over everybody’s heads. Nhem Dara is alive to the situation and coolly dinks the ball past the onrushing Kong Rafat. 4-3.

Amazingly we equalise. Gbayoro’s long ball into the box causes confusion and that man, Nhem Dara sweeps home the loose ball to make it 4-4! CMAC are no pushovers though. Kawabata who has had a quiet half hour has a snapshot saved by Som. Then the same player forces an acrobatic save from the EDC keeper. They have a string of set pieces and the visitors look the most likely to nick it. However we can play when we want to. The brilliant Nhem Dara picks up the ball and runs at the CMAC defence. He slips in substitute Taboula who powers the ball past Kong Rafat. 5-4 EDC. We have fought back from 4-2 and 3-1 down. A couple of water bottles may have died in the process, but finally we got a win, This however papers over more cracks than on a dried up lake.. Amazingly we move up to fourth above Nagaworld.

Final Score EDC 5-4 CMAC United

Dara 25,45, 50,78           Kawabata 11,30,39,45

Taboula 90

Angkor Tiger win The C-League

Angkor Tiger retained the Cambodian C-League after a comfortable 3-0 win over Prek Pra. Congratulations once again go to them from the Electricity Stadium.

Phnom Penh Crown Win the Hun Sen Cup

Phnom Penh Crown beat National Defence 3-2 on penalties after playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw after extra time.

Match 27 – Khemera v EDC

So, at last this season comes to an end with a trip to our bogey side, Khemera, who have had a surprisingly poor season for them and sit in 9^th place. They are still Khemera though with their dodgy wing-back formation. I field a mixture of youth and experience, giving a debut to Sob Vattanak in goal, Mol Ly is given another chance on the left wing and Kouch Mol at right back.

Team: Vottanak, Makara Um, Yaty, Ratana, Mol, Vavanak, San Dara, Pheara, Nhem, Dara, Mol Ly

Match Action

First 20 minutes.. nothing tick tock tick tock yawn yawn yawn. On 26 minutes they get a corner and Sokseuna heads the ball home. 1-0 Khemera. As for us we put together a few nice moves which ends up with the final shot being blocked. Half time. I give my team a flea in their ear, this may be the last game of the season but that was not good enough. I switch to 4-2-4. We assert dominance in the second half. Ratana lays it infield to Vavanak who plays it up to Nhem. He lays it off to young Sann Dara who let’s fly! And drills it into the bottom corner for a brilliant equaliser! 1-1. But this is Khemera and they have an annoying habit of scoring just when you think you have them where you want them.. Ly Ravy receives the ball on the edge of the area and fizzes one straight into the top bins past a sprawling Vattanak. 2-1 in typical Khemera style I make the sentimental substitute of taking off young Dara for the veteran, Sok Chanraksmy, who is retiring at the end of the season . He barely gets a kick.. They look the most likely to get a third which comes when Chanratana compounds our misery from a 25-yard piledriver into the bottom corner. We look utterly clueless and the inevitable end to a miserable season comes to an end. We finish 5^th with 42 points and 14 points off the champions, Angkor Tiger. Much work to be done in the pre-season if we are to challenge next season....

Final Cambodian C-League Table 2025

1^st Angkor Tiger 56 (c)

2^nd Phnom Penh Crown 53

3^rd Nagaworld 47

4^th National Police 47

5^th EDC 42

6^th Boeung Ket 36

7^th National Defence 33

8^th CMAC United 32

9^th Khemera 30

10^th Chhlam Samuth 28

11^th Build Bright United 23

12^th Prek Pra 23 (R)

13^th Mekong Kampeuchea Univ 23 (R)

14^th Port Autonome 20 (R)

A crazy campaign has seen EDC somehow finish 5th, but a long way off the top of the table. While the board are happy that another top half finish has been achieved the performances and especially our defending has left a lot to be desired. Can Rudd, Borey, Chanraksmy, Chan Vannak and the rest rebuild the squad to challenge for honours next season, or has Rudd decided he has taken this team as far as he can? Find out next time on The Ultimate World FM Game! 

Read part 69 The Big Reunion here!