Phnom Penh Crown failed to break through the defences of India’s East Bengal, going down 1-0 in a heartbreaking home loss in their debut Group E match of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025/26.
To make matters worse, their first-choice goalkeeper, Chea Fariya, was sent off late in the match with a red card.
Despite the setback, the players expressed their determination to bounce back for their final group clash, against Kitchee of Hong Kong.
Monday night’s match, at the National Olympic Stadium, saw Crown create two golden chances early in the first half. Unfortunately, both attempts were denied by East Bengal’s goalkeeper.
The visitors launched repeated attacks of their own, only to be held off by Crown’s defenders and keeper Fariya, keeping the first half goalless.
The breakthrough came in the 70th minute, East Bengal striker Fazila Ikwaput finally found the net, handing her side a 1-0 lead.
With 10 Indian national team players and 5 foreign players in their squad, East Bengal continued pressing for more goals. Fariya was vital in keeping the margin narrow, pulling off several spectacular saves.
Deep in stoppage time, however, her inspired performance came to an end, when she was shown a red card for a handball outside the penalty area while trying to stop another shot by Ikwaput’s shot, leaving the Cambodian keeper in tears as she walked off the pitch.
Crown striker Soeun Vipha, who was very active throughout the match, expressed regret that her team could not convert their early opportunities. She admitted East Bengal’s experience gave them the edge.
“In the first half, we played really well, attacking and defending with all our effort, but we were unlucky. We gave everything we had but still lost,” she said.
“This was our first time playing in a tournament like this, so it was a new experience for us. They had more experience and fielded more foreign players. They were stronger physically, but I think we still did well — we were just unlucky,” she added.
Despite the loss, Vipha — who has also shone for Cambodia’s national team — remained upbeat:
“We still have one more match, so we haven’t lost our chance. After this defeat, we are determined to fight back with double the effort. We will give everything in the next game,” she promised.
Head coach Mao Savin echoed her words in the post-match press conference.
“I think my players did well. They played confidently, with strong determination. The only difference was luck in finishing, and our opponents also played well,” she noted.
For East Bengal, match-winner Fazila Ikwaput had praise for the Crown squad.
“We faced a very good team. It was not easy to beat them. We really had to work hard and keep pushing until we got the victory,” she said.
Crown will face Kitchee (Hong Kong) on August 28, a must-win game if they hope to advance.
