Crown return home; Dynamo make semis

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/

Written by Dan Riley
Tuesday, 16 June 2009

CAMBODIAN No 1 side Phnom Penh Crown bowed out of the AFC President's Cup Sunday with a 3-1 consolation win over Bhutan counterparts Yeedzin FC.

With both sides already failing to qualify from Group C due to losses in both their other group matches, a paultry few spectators at Spartak stadium in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, saw Crown go ahead from the unstoppable Cameroonian Jean-Roger Lappe Lappe in the 22nd minute.

Yeedzin then drew back level through a Tshedupla strike before Crown went ahead again three minutes later from a Chan Rithy goal. Lappe Lappe - so good they named him twice - picked up his second just after the hour mark to put the game to bed.

Crown return to Phnom Penh from the Kyrgyzstan capital today and, despite being granted another Cambodian Premier League postponement of their Wednesday fixture against Post Tel, will need to settle down quickly in preparation for a hectic schedule of matches until the mid-season break starting July 2. Crown's missed fixture against Kirivong Sok Sen Chey will now be played on June 24 at 2:00pm, whereas their Post Tel fixture has been moved to 2:00pm July 1.

Dynamo power to semifinals
Sunday's main event was the top-of-table clash between Kyrgyzstan favourites Dordoi-Dynamo Naryn and Myanmar hopefuls Kanbawza FC. With qualification through to the semifinals granted to the winners, Dordoi-Dynamo emerged 2-1 victors in a tension-soaked battle to send the 8,500-strong home crowd at Spartak stadium into ecstasy.

Kanbawza's red-hot striker Soe Min Oo silenced the ground with a goal after 3 minutes, but the Kyrgyz came back to equalize 25 minutes later through Ghanaian forward David Tetteh.

Tetteh thus joined Soe Min Oo and Lappe Lappe with the distinction of having scored in every group match.

With seven minutes left in the half, Dynamo attacker Ildar Amirov put his side in front, and an eventless second period allowed the Kyrgyzstan club to hold on to their slender advantage and progress to the next stage of the competition. Kanbawza can still qualify as best runners-up from the three groups.