Battling Angkor Warriors edged out by Bahrain

ON TUESDAY night at Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium, the Angkor Warriors faced off against Bahrain in the second match of their 2022 World Cup Asian zone second round qualifying campaign, eventually losing 1-0 in a fighting performance.

It seemed as i f t he whole cit y had come to support the n a t i o n a l s i d e , h o p e f u l to get a w i n i n what a l so ser ves as t he second round of qualif ication for t he 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

The 50,000 capacity stadium was filled to the brim, along with a large crowd watching from outside.

The home side, managed by Ja pa n le gend Kei s u ke Honda a nd his A rgent inia n assista nt Fel i x Da l mas, a re in a trick y Group C t hat a lso contains Iran, Iraq and Hong Kong, who Cambodia held to a more t han respectable 1-1 draw at the same venue last Thursday.

Cambodia were undaunted by their higher ranked opponents and were the better side for much of the first half.

But the visitors held firm and went close in the 38th minute, Warriors goalkeeper Keo Soksela seeing off the danger with a fine save.

A f ter a n l i vel y ha l f-t i me show f rom a st udent ba nd, t he second half shifted gear with Bahrain moving the ball about with ease and producing severa l good chances in attack.

Soksela was outstanding all night but eventually Bahrain found a way through.

I n t he 78t h mi nute, t he Cambodian goalkeeper could only palm away an expertly placed cor ner to Ka mi l A l Aswad, who f ired home for his second goa l in as many matches.

T h e g o a l o n l y b r i e f l y si lenced t he stad iu m, wit h t he ex ubera nt crowd soon back in high spirits a nd t he Cambodian players responding by launching a ser ies of attacks.

But Bahrain were not making it easy, smothering cross a f ter c ross a nd seei ng of f whatever t he Angkor Warriors threw at them.

Cambodia’s best chance came with eight minutes left, a sublime chip from midfield leading to a chance that went just wide of the goal.

So Bahrain took the honours but the home team will be proud of their performance against a Bahrain side that had reached the last 16 at the AFC Asian Cup in January.

Cambodia will need at least a repeat of Tuesday’s efforts when they head to formidable Iran on October 10.