Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng did not disappoint their Cambodian fans as hosts of Group D in the 2025/26 AFC Challenge League qualifiers, securing three points over Mongolia’s SP Falcons FC with a convincing 3–0 win in their opening match on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Phnom Penh Crown — reduced to 10 men — pulled off an impressive 1–1 draw against Indonesian hosts Dewa United in Group E, in a thrilling away match, held in Indonesia on Sunday night.
In the Group D clash at the Morodok Techo National Stadium on Sunday evening, Svay Rieng struck twice within the first 32 minutes of the match. Ghanaian striker Peprah Kwame scored both goals, with assists from forward Patrick Robson.
In addition to Kwame’s goals, Japanese midfielder Takashi Odawara sealed the win with a third goal in stoppage time (90+1’), giving Svay Rieng a 3–0 victory. The team also missed several other scoring chances throughout the match.
After the game, Svay Rieng head coach Matthew McConkey addressed the media.
“In the first 10 minutes, we struggled a bit, but then we regained confidence and started playing our game. We had a few chances that we didn’t finish,” he noted.
“Overall, there weren’t any weaknesses today — we just need to improve our finishing. We’ve been working on our playing style for the past four months, and we’ll keep focusing on penetrating the box to score more goals,” he added.
With the three points, Svay Rieng now top Group D, followed by Manila Digger of the Philippines, who defeated Ezra FC of Laos 3–1 in another match on Sunday night.
Two-goal hero Peprah Kwame also spoke to the media.
“It was really important for us to win the first match and get a good standing. We have a great team — we played together well, created good attacking positions and that shows we have a strong standard as a team,” he said.
Crown, who travelled to Indonesia for their Group E qualifier, came away with one point after a 1–1 draw with hosts Dewa United on Sunday night.
Crown were under heavy pressure after defender Yem Devit was sent off with a red card in the 66th minute for pulling down striker Egy Maulana Vikri.
They protested the red but could not overturn the decision. The situation worsened when goalkeeper Um Vichet fumbled a long-range shot from Egy Maulana Vikri, allowing the ball to slip into the net in the 71st minute — giving Dewa United a 1–0 lead.
However, with only ten men, Phnom Penh Crown refused to give up. The equaliser came in the 75th minute when striker Moses Dyer connected beautifully with a corner kick from Long Phearath, firing the ball into the net to level the score.
The 1–1 result left the home fans disappointed, as Dewa United failed to capitalise on their advantage over the ten-man visitors. Crown, on the other hand, were delighted to earn a valuable point, while Tainan City of Taiwan defeated Shan United of Myanmar 2–1 to temporarily top Group E.
