The privately organised community-based football tournament featuring a slew of professional Metfone C-League players, the inaugural ISI Palm KMH Super Cup, got off to a rip-roaring start with Saturday’s two matches producing as many as 17 goals to the delight of the fans at KMH Stadium.
The tournament, hosted at the ground in the capital’s Chaom Chao commune in Por Sen Chey district, situated near Phnom Penh International Airport, benefited a great deal from the introduction of electronic ticketing.
One of the prime movers behind the event, KMH Park chairman Kang Sen, turning out in the colours of KMH All Stars, rather aptly got things going by scoring the first goal of the tournament in the eighth minute to set in motion a 9-1 victory for his side over a somewhat subdued European All Stars in the opening tie.
The Europeans were never in sight as Abiodun Oladipupo, Makara, Owolabi Blessing, with two goals, Mikito Endo, Nduka Uche and Kazaana and Takuya Watanabe added to Sen’s opening strike.
Federico Barreras found a consolation goal for the Europeans in the 54th minute.
In the match that followed, Khmer United were merciless against Japanese All Stars, slamming in seven goals without reply.
The Japanese kept United at bay until the half-hour mark, but once Chika Nwankwo broke through, the floodgates opened. With five Africans in the starting line-up, Khmer United found the net at regular intervals.
Rapheal Obeng and Mathew Osa both bagged braces, and with the game long over as a contest, Vitalis Anozie’s 86th minute goal wrapped things up.
