Kirivong Sok Sen Chey FC issued an urgent statement just before midnight last night defending the club’s integrity. It followed yesterday’s 2–1 defeat to home team Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng — a result that some fans have suspected was prearranged.
The accusations arose because Kiriwong Sok Sen Chey, despite trailing 2–1, made no attempt to contest possession during the final three minutes of play. Instead, they allowed Svay Rieng players to pass the ball freely among themselves near their own goal area until the referee blew the final whistle — confirming Svay Rieng’s 2–1 victory.
It was not only the club’s fans who appeared to be concerned about the suspicious loss of interest in the result.
Angkor Tiger club president Akihiro Kato expressed concern about this passive behaviour, warning that such conduct could negatively affect the reputation and competitive quality of the Cambodian Premier League (CPL).
The Japanese businessman — who has invested heavily in supporting Angkor Tiger, recently building a private stadium in Siem Reap — posted a message along with late-match images of the Svay Rieng vs. Kiriwong game.
“We must not let the league’s value be damaged by negative impressions,” he wrote.
As doubts grew, Kirivong issued a response to the wave of criticism.
“The club expresses its regret and sincerely apologises to all supporters for the team’s performance during the additional minutes of the match last night. The decision regarding that playing style was a mistake, even though it was intended to conserve players’ energy and prevent further goals,” it said.
“This decision had no other motive or implication. However, for transparency, the club will hold an urgent internal meeting to understand the root causes and rationale behind the decision, to prevent such an issue from happening again in the future,” it added.
During the November 9 match at the Techo Morodok National Stadium, Nhean Sosidan opened the scoring for Svay Rieng with a beautiful free kick in the 45+2 minute. Kwame Peprah added a second in the 53rd minute, while Victor Azike Ekene scored from a free kick in the 74th minute to claw one back for the visitors.
Svay Rieng head coach Matthew McConkey seemed unconcerned by the swirling rumours, noting the challenges posed by the ultra-defensive strategy chosen by Kirivong.
“It was a tough match. I think we made it difficult for ourselves, especially since Kirivong dropped all 11 players back into defence. Their backline was sitting deep inside the box, and playing against such a team made it very hard to find scoring opportunities,” he said.
“We need to change sides faster and play more effectively, especially in the first half. We had some chances, but overall, playing against such a defensive setup is not easy. In the end, we got the three points we wanted,” he contined.
With the victory, Svay Rieng remain top of the league with 21 points, just ahead of Angkor Tiger, who also have 21 points after a 3–0 away win over Royal Cambodian Armed Forces FC. Phnom Penh Crown remain in third following a 1–1 draw with Visakha on Saturday.
In other matches, NagaWorld came from behind to beat Life Sihanoukville 3–1 at home, while MOI Kampong Dewa drew 0–0 with ISI Dangkor Senchey.
