Bekasi: Phat Sokha struck from distance in the 57th minute to ensure Cambodia salvaged a 1-1 draw with Laos at the Patriot Chandrabhang Stadium in the nations’ Group B opener in the ASEAN U-23 Mandiri Cup™ 2025 on Wednesday.
Phat Sokha cancelled out Phousomboun Panyavong’s 19th minute effort for Ha Hyeok-jun’s side as the points were shared ahead of the teams’ respective meetings with Vietnam later in the competition.
Laos took the lead as Phousomboun made the most of an error in the Cambodian defence, the striker guiding his low first-time shot into the bottom corner of Reth Ly Heng’s goal after Peeter Phanthavong’s pass was inadvertently pushed into his path.
Damoth Thongkhamsavath should have doubled his side’s advantage two minutes later, only for the midfielder to shoot high over the bar having left the Cambodia defence trailing in his wake at the end of driving run into the penalty area.
The Cambodians had dominated possession while struggling to create scoring opportunities, and Chanvibol Davit underlined his side’s issues with five minutes left in the half when he headed wide of the Laos goal.
Reth Ly Heng then made an instinctive save to keep out Peeter’s goal-bound effort in injury time while Hay Soknet should have levelled the scores 10 minutes into the second half, the Cambodian heading harmlessly across the face of goal.
Cambodia’s equaliser did eventually come 12 minutes after the restart, Phat leaving goalkeeper Kop Lokphathip flat-footed with a fine left-foot strike into the corner from more than 20 yards out.
From there Koji Gyotoku’s side looked the more likely to claim the points, with Hay Soknet seeing a header cleared off the line by Khammanh Thapaseut. The Cambodian forward was denied again from the resulting corner, this time by Kop tipping the ball over the bar.
Laos, however, held on to pick up a point ahead of their meeting with the Vietnamese on Saturday, while Cambodia will next be in action against the defending champions on Tuesday.
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