Mekong Tigers stormed into the final of the Cambodia Basketball League after wrapping up their semifinal playoff 2-0 against title holders Pate 310 at the Olympic Indoor Arena on Saturday, but it was a dramatic fightback by Extra Joss Fighters against Davies Megacryl that hogged the limelight.

The Tigers led every quarter on their way to a 71-56 victory in the second of the three game series to knock the champs out.

After a somewhat well contested first quarter that saw the Tigers to a 20-14 advantage, the match took on a one-way look until the finish.

If Davies Megacryl, last season’s runners-up behind Pate, were looking to carry their first game momentum and knock Extra Joss Fighters out, they were in for a shock.

Fighters levelled the series 1-1 with a 76-51 win to earn a decisive third game on August 22.

The fighters lived up to their name and reputation as a robust set of players by taking the fight to the rival camp.

The cold numbers highlighted Megacryl’s plight and Fighters dominance.

A 41-28 half-time lead for Fighters clearly meant that Megacryl had to redouble their effort and scoring to stay in the hunt.

But the Fighters were in not in the mood to let that happen and they expanded the lead to 61-37 by the end of the third quarter – and the match had been won long before the buzzer.

Cambodia’s U19s remain on course for making the knockout stage of 2015 after thrashing Brunei 5-1 in their second match in Group A on Monday at Vientiane’s Laos National Stadium, after a 0-0 draw against hosts Laos on Saturday.

The Kingdom’s Sath Rosib put his team 2-0 up in the first half with a pair of spectacular goals in the 9th and 39th minute.

Son Vandeth, Chin Vannak and Touch Roma added three more in the second half before Mohammad Akif Bin Soslan of Brunei, who lost to the Philippines 2-1 on Saturday’s opening day, grabbed a consolation from the penalty spot.

Cambodia’s U19s are in Group A alongside hosts Laos, group favourites Thailand, the Philippines and Brunei, and play the Philippines on Friday before meeting Thailand on Sunday in their final group game.

Additional reporting Chhorn Norn

A high level of anxiety is brewing in Tokyo just as a huge amount of excitement is building up in Phnom Penh as the Cambodian national team, spending the next few days in its final stretch of preparation in Thailand, take on five-time Asian champions Japan at the Saitama Stadium on next Thursday in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers for a ticket to Russia 2018.

Japan stand more than 100 places above the Kingdom in FIFA rankings, so on paper at least the Group E clash is a classic minnows versus the mighty tale and any result other than a home win would cause tremors all over the world.

A long shot Cambodia may well be, but head coach Lee Tae Hoon has one crucial factor working in his favour to throw a shock and that is the turbulent times Japanese football is going through and the self-doubt that has crept into the team.

Rumours were swirling that Vahid Halihodzic might lose his job after Japan returned from the East Asian Cup in the Chinese city of Wuhan after losing to North Korea and drawing with China and South Korea to remain winless in the competition for the first time ever.

The Japan Football Federation, however, stood by the Bosnian, with JPA president Kuniya Daini admitting earlier this month that Japan faced a crisis and something had to change.

This JPA acknowledgement came in response to Halihodzic blowing his top after his side lost to North Korea and taking up the issue of strengthening the team directly with the head of the federation.

Though it was only a second string side that went to Wuhan, a full strength Japan, bolstered by 13-Europe based players was frustrated no end by visiting Singapore in 2018 World Cup qualifying in June, with a goalless draw that shocked the football world.

These two recent results, along with Japan’s exit from the Asian Cup as defending champions in a penalty shootout against the United Arab Emirates earlier in the year, have added a layer of anxiety for the Japanese.

“I want my players to make the best of this great opportunity to play a world class team like Japan.

We have done well to come this far in reaching the second round. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Cambodia’s coach Lee Tae Hoon said.

For Lee Tae Hoon’s counterpart though, nothing less than win would be a total disaster as Japan travel to Tehran to meet Afghanistan on September 8, the day Cambodia will play host to Syria at the Olympic Stadium.

Normally, perhaps Japan would have taken Cambodia lightly but certainly not next week, as Halihodzic will have repeatedly warned his players.

Brigadier General Khiev Sameth was elected as deputy chairman of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for a second four-year term at the federation’s 22nd congress held in Yangon at the weekend, the Football Federation of Cambodia has announced.

He will also take up the role of acting AFF president when the re-elected president, Malaysia’s Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, is absent.

Sameth said yesterday that he will have many important tasks to complete in his second term, including pushing the federation’s members to focus on youth in order to improve the region’s football as the ASEAN community has agreed to launch a bid for the right to host the 2034 World Cup.

“The AFF has a budget for helping member countries to develop youth teams because the level of football in ASEAN at the moment appears lower than other regions.

We are studying to decide which countries should be offered a budget to improve their youth teams,” Sameth said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CHHORN NORN

Thiland's promising teenager Palaphoom Kovapitukted defeated Cambodia’s Delton Sophana Kim 6-4,6-4 in the third round of the Kuala Lumpur Open Tennis Championship, a popular prize-money event that has attracted some of the region’s seasoned players to the Malaysian capital.

The Kingdom’s second entry, Long Samneang, who shocked 12th seeded Rohizad Achop, 6-0, 6-2 in the third round, however found the going real tough in the next stage against Malaysia’s circuit-hardened Muhammad Ashaari, who wrapped up the fourth round contest 6-1, 6-1.

The 16-year-old Delton ran into a tough Thai rival, who is a year junior to him. Kovapitukted trains full time at the Thai Tennis Federation and is one among the leading crop of youngsters.

Delton has been working a lot on his backhands in recent weeks. He tried out the heavy and deep strokes that he normally goes for during practice.

But in a match situation he found this tactic hard to execute, often ending up hitting flat and short. Delton also had trouble coming up with his favourite cross-court forehands.

A veteran of sorts Ashaari was too crafty and consistent for inexperienced Samneang, who tried desperately hard to keep the ball in play only to find the Malaysian move in swiftly to close out the points.

On the brighter side, Delton Kim and Samneang made up for their singles exit by keeping their doubles chances alive.

The Cambodian pair got the measure of Koay Hao Chi and Koay Hao Zhe of Vietnam 6-2,6-3.

Meanwhile, Cambodian juniors Khleang Punlok, Sen Sophon and Sreynoch Ho will participate in the ITF/ATF 14 & Under Development Training Camp starting today.

The two-week camp will be held at the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand courts.

Tennis Cambodia coach Doeum Samsocheaphearun has accompanied the youngsters on this trip.

This 14 Under Camp will involve players from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

“This is a great opportunity for all three of our players, especially Sreynoch Ho, who we will be sending to the WTA Future Stars event in Singapore, alongside Sreypov Hour, in late October.

It’s also another great experience for coach Samsocheaphearun Doeum to go back to Thailand once again to learn from different coaches and bring back more knowledge for himself and to the federation,’’ head of junior development, Phalkun Mam said yesterday.

Extra Joss Fighters rolled with the punches when adversity hit them, helping them to pip last season’s runners-up Davies Megacryl 79-74 in the dying moments of the decisive third game of their semifinal playoff at the Olympic Indoor Arena on Saturday.

Having bounced back from the first-game defeat to level the series 1-1 last week, the win catapulted Fighters to a final showdown with Mekong Tigers, who made the championship round after sweeping aside title-holders Pate 310 in straight matches.

The first game of the best of three final between Mekong Tigers and Extra Joss Fighers is slated for September 5.

True to expectations, the crucial tie produced plenty of drama and excitement of the highest order. The teams were dead even 42 at half time after Fighters squandered a seven-point advantage and let their rivals catch up.

The end of the third quarter saw Megacryl nose ahead for the first time at 63-59.

Fighers came back charging in the final session, and with three minutes left on the clock the teams were knotted up at 72 and again all square at 74 with 36 seconds to play.

Megacryl missed two vital chances to grab the lead and Fighters exploited the ensuing turnovers to their advantage.

With defending champions Pate 310, and runners-up Davies Megacryl, who as Alaxan Patriots having won the seasonal honours the year before, hitting the buffers, the CBL is set to crown a new champion this season.

The Japan-bound Cambodian National football team went down 1-2 to Laos in an international Friendly at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on Saturday.

Cambodia’s Tierry Chantha Bin equalised just before half time Lao striker Sitthideth Khantavong’s 11th minute goal, but the crafty front liner was back to nail the go ahead goal three minutes into the second session.

The Cambo-dian team spent a few days in Thailand as part of its final preparations before flying to Tokyo for a Group E clash against Japan on September 3 at the Saitama Stadium in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers.

As the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) evaluates the historical evidence Cambodia has provided in support of its appeal to declare bokator as an intagible heritage asset, the martial art won plaudits at the International World Martial Arts Festival, which concluded in the South Korean city of Chungju on Sunday.

Two of the Kingdom’s bokator practitioners, fighting in tandem, won silver in the annual festival that encompassed various styles of martial arts pursued in as many as 39 countries.

Sam Tharoth and Hort Senghorn struck a great partnership to defeat the highly rated fighters from Uzbekistan before beating the Brazilian capoeira artists to make the grand final where the traditional powerhouse South Korea subdued the Cambodian pair.

“It was a fantastic sight to see our Bokator warriors brings us glory at a time when we are pursuing our case for World Heritage Asset status with the help of the World Martial Arts Union’’ said the secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, Vath Chamroeun.

“It is a grand advertisement for bokator, and we in Cambodia take so much pride.

This performance will not only enhance the merit of bokator but also raise its appeal among youngsters to get into the increasingly popular mainstream mixed martial arts’’ he said.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian Bokator Federation in association with the NOCC will organise the National Bokator Championships starting today at the Taekwondo Center in the Olympic Stadium complex.

Prominent fighters from various provinces will be seen in action during the three-day event.

Vahid Halilhodzic, the manager of Japan has summoned three Europe-based strikers to bolster his side for today’s Group E clash with Cambodia in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers at the Saitama Stadium even as pressure is mounting on the Bosnian to come up with his first win in four competitive games since he took over from Mexican Javier Aguirre, who was shown the door earlier this year.

Japan’s goalless draw with Singapore at home in the Group opener on June 16 came as more of an irritant than a body blow for Halihodizic, who was then forced to return empty-handed from the East Asian Cup in China.

These two recent below-par results have combined in good measure to raise the stakes for Halihodizic and his players even though Japan is a far superior side than Cambodia’s, for whom this test is all about making good a rare opportunity to compete with classy opposition.

Cambodia’s coach Lee Tae Hoon is in no doubt that the task ahead of his players, containing let alone confronting a team like Japan, and away from home as well, is a formidable one.

But as he has made it amply clear multiple times, the South Korean’s main thrust is to lead his players to perform at their best and not to be overawed by either the occasion or Japan’s reputation.

At the unveiling of his 23-member squad last week, Halihodizic downplayed the impact of his side’s recent performances on overall team morale ahead of this game, but he did admit that he would sleep better if Japan won their matches against Cambodia and Afghanistan.

“It is the first time in my life I have gone four matches without a win. I love winning and I am not satisfied that we have not won.

“But I am not sad either. The players showed great quality in the Singapore game and created plenty of chances, really tried hard to score and defended well,’’ Halihodizic told a news conference in Tokyo.

“But at the same time we don’t want a repeat of that against Cambodia. We don’t want to make excuses a second time.

“We have to score and produce a performance that we can all be satisfied with,’’ the Japan Times quoted the manager as saying.

While Japan’s experienced goal-keeper Kawashima was dropped from the team, the side will be leaning on its star power to attain its goal of a sound victory.

The attacking trio of Keisuke Honda,(AC Milan), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund) and Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City) is expected to make life difficult for the Cambodian back line.

It is only Cambodia’s third meeting with Japan in nearly 51 years. The two sides met for the first time at the Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia way back in 1964 when Japan won 4-0.

The next encounter was at the 1970 Sixth Asian Games in Bangkok where Japan got the better of what was then known as the Khmer Empire 1-0.

South Korea’s Kim Hee Gon will officiate the game with the assistance of two of his compatriots as linesmen. The kickoff will be at 5.30pm Cambodian time.

Apart from live streaming of this match in several outlets, there will be live coverage on local channel BTV.

Thousands of Cambodian fans have been thronging to the Olympic Stadium for all national team games including friendlies ever since the Kingdom’s unprecedented passage to the second round of the world Cup qualifiers.

According to several pre-match media surveys, in keeping with the recent spectator trends, tens of thousands are expected to be glued to their TV sets.

Japan's three eye-catching players in Europe, Keisuke Honda, Maya Yoshida and Shinji Kagawa, proved their unquestionable class by scoring a goal each in a totally dominant 3-0 home victory over Cambodia in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers at the well-filled Saitama Stadium yesterday.

Having nearly 80 per cent possession in this Group E encounter, Japan virtually pitched their tent in the Cambodian half, hardly allowing the visitors any leeway for even a mild counterattack .

Such was Japan’s stranglehold on the game that only once did a Cambodian player manage to get past the firewall, but eventually Kouch Sokhumpeak’s attempted header from the edge of the box fell safely into the hands of the goalkeeper.

That was to be the only positive for coach Lee Tae Hoon who was forced by the sheer star power of the opposition to employ ultra-defensive tactics with almost the entire side falling back to defend.

But for goalkeeper Sou Yaty’s heroics in fending off several sharp scoring attempts by Japan’s marauding strikers, the score would have been much bigger.

The victory came as a huge relief for manager Vahid Halihodzic, who had come under increasing pressure after highly rated Japan were held to an embarrassing goalless draw by Singapore at the start of the campaign in June.

The Bosnian, who took control of the Japanese national team earlier this year, had gone without a win in the last four competitive matches.

Japan travel in a joyous mood to Tehran in the next few days to meet Afghanistan on September 8, while Cambodia, having suffered their third straight defeat, return home to face Syria at the Olympic Stadium on the same day.

A visibly tense Halihodzic watched his side miss several opportunities to score in the early stages, often raising both his hands in sheer disappointment.

But approaching the half-hour mark, Italian Serie A star for AC Milan Keisuke Honda changed the complexion of the game, the manager’s demeanour and the mood in the stands with a thunderous strike with his trusty left foot.

Japan crossed over with that Honda goal, but within the first 15 minutes after the restart, Southampton’s Maya Yoshida and Borussia Dortmund striker Shinji Kagawa had produced stunning efforts to beat Sou Yaty.

Japan kept piling on the pressure, but somehow Cambodia managed to arrest the score-line, disappointing though it was in the end for both Lee Tae Hoon and the players.

H s Manunath

Non-profit NGO Three Hearts Foundation and Tennis Cambodia jointly organised a Dental Care awareness program for as many as 85 tennis playing kids at the Center of Phnom Penh Thmey Orphanage (CPPTO) on Friday.

Volunteer students from the University of Health and Sciences conducted an oral hygiene session during which the kids were given several valuable tips in proper dental care.

In the second part of the program, named A-Ha-Ha project 2015, members of the Cambodian Davis Cup team Bun Kenny and Delton Sophana Kim, along with several dignitaries, shared some fun tennis time with the kids on a mini court set up on the basketball court.

In her opening remarks, Hisae Arai, the managing director of THF and Tennis Cambodia’s Global Goodwill ambassador, stressed the importance of proper dental care for young players as part of their sports activities.

“We continue to focus our efforts in THF on vital health issues that are complimentary to sports and I thank Tennis Cambodia for its whole hearted support in all our campaigns” said Ms Hisae Arai.

“Our aim in Tennis Cambodia is not just to teach tennis skills but lessons of life to help boys and girls grow up in a healthy environment.

We continue to work with THF on several fronts to create this ideal atmosphere for kids to excel both in sports and education,” said secretary-general of Tennis Cambodia, Tep Rithivit.

Both Hisae Arai and Tep Rithvit thanked the director of Aspeca Orphanages, Kem Kimlang, who also oversees the CPPTO, for her support to this program and also for extending her co-operation to tennis training in various Aspeca branches.

In a frenetic overtime finish, Mekong Tigers snatched a 97-85 win over Extra Joss Fighters to go 1-0 up in the best of three Championship round of the Cambodia Basketball League at the Olympic Stadium indoor arena on Saturday.

The crucial second game is scheduled for 5pm on September 12.The climactic moments of the regulation time saw the Fighters, who had possession of the ball with 11 seconds to go and 81-all on the score-board, miss out on Jomar’ Santos drive-in lay up. It came back to haunt them in the ensuing five minutes of overtime where the initiative firmly swung the Tigers way.

A couple of three pointers from Pheng Darath won the argument and the day for the Tigers, as the Fighters at the other end were firing blanks.

A good turnout greeted the finalists as they hit the floor looking for their first title success, having sent packing two former champions in the semifinals.

The Fighters showed lot of gate speed to jump into a 15-7 lead in the opening stanza but by the end of it they narrowly led 19-17.

By the half way stage, however, the Tigers had hit the straps well enough to take the break ahead of their rivals.

A closely fought third quarter saw rapidly shifting patterns on the court with the Fighters not giving much away.

The Tigers, on the other hand, had a nice game plan in place with Matt VP raising the tempo of the game by sinking three consecutive three-pointers to give his side a 7-point headwind.

When the game entered the climactic phase Relampagos, Siruma and Jomar Santos were holding the Fighters together.

With 32 seconds left on the clock the Fighters led 79-78, but Matt VP pulled the game back in favour of the Tigers from the free throw line.

It was then Edmer Pansoy’s turn to get the Fighters out of trouble and level the scores once again at 81.

Ravuth had a great chance to end the game from the free throw line with 11 seconds to go but missed both his shots.

Holding the ball with just 11 seconds to kill, Jomar Santos charged in for his lay up but missed the mark, pushing the game inevitably to five minutes of overtime.

A couple of long range baskets from Pheng Darath brought huge relief in the Tigers camp as the side wrapped up the first game.

Earlier in the afternoon, Davies Megacryl beat Pate Phnom Penh 82-74 in the third place play off.

Against the backdrop of a devastating Syrian refugee crisis sweeping Europe, the war-ravaged country’s footballers will face Cambodia in a 2018 World Cup qualifiers Group E encounter at the Olympic Stadium today, determined to safeguard their unbeaten record and bring a modicum of relief to a population in turmoil.

It has not been easy for the players to cope with the often disturbing images of the plight of their fellow citizens but it is this deepening crisis that is also steeling their resolve to deliver good results on the pitch.

Head coach Fajr Ibrahim has led the country to a 6-0 thumping of Afghanistan in Tehran and 1-0 win over Singapore five days ago in Muscat to secure the top spot in the Group for Syria. He is in no doubt that his team will play their hearts out for the sake of tens of thousands of fellow citizens who have either paid with their lives or are going through tough times.

It took a late second half goal from Ode Jfal for Syria to subdue Singapore, who had caused the shock of the qualifying cycle by holding mighty Japan to a goal-less draw at the start of the group campaign.

As the Syrian coach made it plain during a media conference at the Football Federation of Cambodia, his side will be eager and determined to consolidate its group status ahead of its much anticipated run-in with Japan.

At about the time the Syrians were taming the Lions, Cambodia were going through fire hoops against Japan at the Saitama Stadium.

Coach Lee Tae Hoon’s men were completely in a bind, unable to break free from the Japanese stranglehold in that 3-0 defeat, the Kingdom’s third after a 4-0 thrashing by Singapore and a 1-0 loss to Afghanistan.

The South Korean strategist, who was instrumental in taking Cambodia past the first hurdle in World Cup qualification attempts for the first time in history, is hoping to see his side put up a more aggressive and competitive front against the visitors.

Coach Lee Tae Hoon (pictured, Sreng Meng Srun), while conceding the players for most part performed as if they were in a compression chamber against Japan, is striking a confident note that his players will show greater enterprise in this game.

“As past results clearly show, Syria are a very strong team and they are also ranked well above us, which means that we have a tough task on our hands.

We have learnt our lessons from the previous matches and I am hopeful that we can put up a good fight,” the Cambodia coach said.

This will be Cambodia’s fourth game in the first round and third home fixture.

Another sellout crowd is expected for this twilight treat at Olympic Stadium by the time the game kicks off at 6:30pm.

Syria exploited a poor performance from Cambodia to rout the Angkor Warriors 6-0 at the Olympic Stadium yesterday evening.

The third straight victory for coach Fajr Ibrahim’s men took Syria to the top of Group E in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers for Russia 2018, ahead of the side’s high profile clash with Japan.

This was Cambodia’s fourth loss in as many outings.

If the massive crowd felt relieved at the sight of Syria missing a 13th minute penalty it was aghast within minutes as the physically robust visitors hammered four goals in the next half an hour, cleverly taking advantage of the home side’s sloppy defending.

After spending the break in a relatively jubilant mood, having seen off a short but sharp spell of rain, the Syrians greeted the restart with an early goal and boosted their tally to six late in the game to put a seal of absolute authority on the contest.

“We have achieved what we had set out for. It was good teamwork and I am happy we have given something to cheer for our population that is in such distress,” said coach Fajr Ibrahaim after the match.

For his part, a disappointed Lee Tae Hoon said the team needed to work hard to do better in the remaining three away and one home match.

“We allowed lot space for the physically strong Syrians to make use of,” noted the South Korean strategist.

Referee Wang Di of China had no hesitation in awarding a penalty to Syria after a cross touched the outstretched hands of Tit Dina (pictured being tackled by Syrian defender Ahmad Alsaleh) in what appeared to be more of a case of ball to hand.

Cambodia goalkeeper Sou Yaty anticipated Sanharib Malki’s spot kick, diving smartly to his left to push it around the post in a save that brought a huge roar of approval from the stands.

But the sense of relief was shattered when Omar Khrbin posted Syria’s first goal with a crafty header. Malki himself made quick amends for that penalty miss by firing the second goal even as Omar returned to fire the team’s third.

Syria’s fluid midfield kept the wingers on the move all the time and just before half-time Mahmoud Al Mawas came up with a tidy on-the-run finish to make it 4-0 before the break.

While Cambodia put up a few counter moves which barely threatened the visitors, the home side could not contain the Syrian onslaught for long.

Omar Midani found the mark early in the second half after a few testing exchanges inside the Cambodian box, and Osama Omari rounded off the tally.

Lee Tae Hoon pulled Bin Theary and Prak Mony Odom from the bench to lift sagging morale. Both could only cause a mild flutter.

But despite the rain and the scoreline, the Cambodian fans were exemplary, applauding every goal and staying until the very end.

The party atmosphere if anything increased towards the end, with the Bak Tuk High School brass band launching into a rendition of 80s’ classic The Final Countdown with the score 5-0 and with 15 minutes to play.

The 2015 Metfone Cambodian League kicks off for the first time since August 16 at the weekend after the international break for qualifying round matches for 2018 World Cup and the 2015 AFF U19 Championship.

All 12 teams will be in action on Saturday and Sunday. In Saturday’s early fixtures, both at 3.30pm, second place Boeung Ket Angkor, on 35 points, meet bottom side Kirivong Sok Sen Chey, who lost 12-2 to the Rubbermen in their first meeting, and third-placed Cambodia Tiger, on 24 points play National Defence, who they lost to 2-1 in the preceeding tie.

In the evening games at 6pm, sixth-place National Police will be out for revenge on Build Bright United who beat them 2-1 in their first meeting, and league leaders Phnom Penh Crown, on 36 points, play ninth-place Asia Europe United who they beat 6-1 in the first half of the season.

On Sunday at 3.30pm Western Phnom Penh in 11th face fifth-placed Svay Rieng. At 6pm CMAC United face fourth place NagaWorld, who saw off the league newcomers 3-0 earlier in the season.

The Metfone C League resumed on Saturday with front runners Phnom Penh Crown and Boeung Ket Angkor scoring contrasting wins to keep their fierce rivalry going.

Players on national call for Cambodia’s second round campaign in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers returned to their club duties as the season gathers pace in the next few weeks towards the four-team knock-out phase.

Crown had it their own way against Asia Europe United at the RSN Stadium with a 6-0 win after leading 3-0 at the break.

Leng Makara and Shane Booysen fired a brace each with Keo Sokpheng and defender Odion Obadin also on target.

Away at the Army Stadium, Boeung Ket Angkor were made to work for their 2-0 win by Kirivong Sok Sen Chey.

Boeung Ket led early with Esoh Paul Omogba’s goal but despite several promising moves the side could not build on this advantage till midway through the second half.

It was substitute Hong Makara who doubled the lead barely a minute after the restart to ensure three points for Boeung Ket, who have played one game less than the leaders Crown.

Pace-setters Phnom Penh Crown and Boeung Ket Angkor are likely to be pressed hard during the midweek action in the Metfone C League against rivals who have often in the past created flutters when least expected.

On the back of their 6-0 drubbing of Asia Europe United last Saturday, Crown face Ministry of National Defence in today’s top fixture, aiming to maintain that winning tempo and at the same time hold ground in their leadership battle with Boeung Ket Angkor.

The Armymen have done nothing spectacular since their 2010 Hun Sen Cup triumph, but heavyweights in domestic football almost always regard this robust side with a healthy respect and an abundance of caution.

Kirivong Sok Sen Chey could count on a few positives even in their defeat at the hands of Boeung Ket three days ago. The side will be desperate to get a positive outcome from a tottering campaign against Cambodian Tigers at the Western Stadium.

Debutants Cambodian Mines Action Center will take on Asia Europe United at the Olympic Stadium. This twilight fixture will be broadcasted live on BTV.

Two-time champions NagaWorld kick-start Thursday’s card at the Olympic Stadium hoping to take in their stride Western Phnom Penh, who stunned them with a last gasp winner the last time the two met in the first round.

But the day’s riveting attention will be focused on Boeung Ket Angkor’s clash with Build Bright United at the Army Stadium.

While Boeung Ket have not given much away this season, the last season’s runners-up will have to tread a careful path against a side that has the reputation of being tough to dislodge.

Under the Olympic Stadium lights, Svay Rieng will square off against General Commisariat of National Police in what promises to be a tough contest that is being beamed live by local channel BTV.

Both sides are passionately driven by their desire to make the four-team Championship-round cut as the fight that is seemingly for two spots behind Crown and Boeung Ket get hotter by the week.

Match Schedule:

Today:
MND v Phnom Penh Crown (Army Stadium, 3.30pm)
Cambodian Tigers v Kirivong Sok Sen Chey (Western Stadium, 3.30pm)
Cambodian Mines Action Center v AEU (Olympic Stadium, 6pm)

Thursday:
NagaWorld v Western, Phnom Penh (Olympic Stadium, 3.30pm)
Boeung Ket Angkor v Build Bright United (Army Stadium, 3.30pm)
Svay Rieng v National Police (Olympic Stadium, 6pm)

Bouncing back from their overtime loss in the first game of the Cambodia Basketball League showpiece, Extra Joss Fighters posted a 84-79 victory over Mekong Tigers in the second game at the Olympic Indoor Arena on Saturday to take the championship series to the decider on September 19.

The Tigers looked set to wrap up the title round following their last Saturday’s 97-84 win, but after their initial buzzle, it was the Fighters who pounded their way to a well merited victory.

The Tigers jumped to a 10-3 lead inside the first four minutes of the game only to see the Fighters gradually close the gap and move ahead 22-16 at the end of the 10-minute spell. A hard fought second quarter saw Tigers whittle that lead down to three points at the break.

The Fighters stretched the lead in the third quarter with Siruma and Jomar Santos combining well to keep the score board ticking. For the Tigers, Matt Van Pelt and Jermaine Lattimore did good work, yet the side trailed Fighers 55-64.

Going into the final stretch with a nine point lead, The Fighters deftly held on to that advantage to ensure that the showdown was far from over and that they have now as good a chance as their rivals to clinch the championship for the first time.

After an unbeaten run of 14 weeks of Metfone C League action, frontrunners Phnom Penh Crown and Boeung Ket Angkor stumbled to their first defeats, ironically, at the same venue on consecutive days.

While Boeung Ket Angkor went down 3-2 to 2014 Hun Sen Cup runners-up Build Bright United yesterday, Crown were beaten fair and square 3-0 by a robust Ministry of National Defence on Wednesday.

Just before the break, Olatubosun Joseph took BBU to the front, and minutes after the restart Reng Bunheang doubled the lead to force the 2012 champs onto the back foot.

Though seasoned national striker Khuon Laboravy reduced the burden within moments, as the hour mark approached Momoh Dugule Sumaila made it 3-1.

Fighting desperately hard to save the day, Boeung Ket’s persistence seemed to have paid off when Sok Sovan managed to inject some hope with a 79th minute strike. But that was as far as Boeung Ket could get.

This was Boeung Ket’s first loss in 15 games, following 12 wins and two draws. They are still one point behind Crown in the league, though they have a game in hand – against MND – a fixture that was postponed on August 16.

On Wednesday, MND had shattered Crown’s unbeaten streak by comprehensively beating the five-time champions.

The Army outfit’s seventh win of the season was fashioned by a second-half brace from Ke Vannak after Pov Phearith had given the side a 41st minute lead.

After 12 wins and three draws, this was the first reverse for Crown, who missed the services of Bin Thiery and Shane Booysen.

“I feel sorry for the fans who came to watch this game, who paid money to watch, I apologise to them, that was a very poor performance, not just the result but the overall performance was very very poor,’’ Crown head coach Sam Schweingruber said. “We’ll take some time to reflect on why so many players had a bad day.

At the time Boeung Ket were being put through the wringer by BBU, NagaWorld were dining merrily at the Olympic Stadium, helping themselves to an 8-2 win over Western Phnom Penh.

Away from these sensational twists, Cambodian Tiger FC quietly and efficiently notched up their ninth win, beating Kirivong Sok Sen Chey on Wednesday even as Asia Europe United swiftly left their disappointing performance against Crown behind to go on to a 3-1 win over Cambodian Mines Actions Center.

Record entries mark the Fourth National Junior Tennis Tournament rolling into action at the National Training Center today.

With players from Siem Reap and Battambang, who missed out on the third edition, returning to the competition, the field is likely to be the biggest ever assembled.

As many as 72 players have already signed up for the three-day event to be contested in various age groups.

Many of the winners from the previous tournament will be back to reclaim their titles.

The youngest member of the National squad, 16-year old Delton Sophana Kim, who won the under 18 singles with a measure of comfort will again hit the court as much needed preparation for his proposed ITF Junior Circuit trip to Indonesia in the coming weeks.