AFC Challenge League: Peprah brace lifts Svay Rieng into final

After being held to a 1-1 first leg draw at home, Cambodian club Svay Rieng advanced to the final of the AFC Challenge League with a 3-0 victory in the Phillipines over Manila Digger. Ghanaian striker Kwame Peprah moved to the top of the competition’s scoring chart with two goals in the victory.

The former King Faisal star now has eight goals in the competition and 32 goals in all competitions this season after his latest exploits. Svay Rieng will represent Asia’s East region in the final on May 9, where they will face one of four teams from the West region.

After earning a scoring draw in the first leg, Philippine club Manila Digger had high hopes of finishing the job at home with a heavily African team that featured seven Gambians in the XI. However, goalkeeper Omar Njie could not quite keep Kriya Sareth’s header out from an 11th minute free kick and the visitors seized the aggregate advantage.

Peprah takes center stage to advance to AFC Challenge League final

Peprah added a second goal in the 39th minute with a scrappy finish before bursting past two defenders in the 68th minute to complete his brace. After being held without a goal in the first leg, the Ghanaian was determined to help his club advance and move a step closer to claiming the top scorer title in the competition.

 

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Svay Rieng remain in contention to win three competitions this season. They have already clinched the Cambodian Premier League title and are in the semifinals of the country’s domestic cup competition, the Hun Sen Cup, as well as the final of the Challenge League now.