AFC Challenge League: African legion helps Manila Digger to favorable semifinal 1st leg result

Featuring a starting XI with nine African players, Filipino club Manila Digger are a step from the final of the AFC Challenge League after earning an excellent 1-1 first leg result in Cambodia against hosts Svay Rieng on Thursday.

Two prolific African forwards headlined the duel, which featured Svay Rieng’s Ghanaian poacher Kwame Peprah coming up against Gambian forward Pa Ousman Gai. It was Gai who stole the headlines with an important late equalizer to give the club from the Filipino capital a slight edge heading back home.

The second leg will take place in Manila on April 16. Notably, away goals are not used a tiebreaker in the competition if the two teams end level following the second leg.

Hosts Svay Rieng got off to an excellent start after Portuguese forward Tiago Alves finished from close range following a 4th minute corner kick. But the visitors got more comfortable at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh as Peprah went silent and the hosts failed to inflict further damage.

Despite creating few opportunities, Manila Digger made their best opportunity count in the 85th minute courtesy of a Gambian connection. Collecting a pass outside the corner of the penalty area, Modou Manneh lifted a cross to the far post where Ousman Gai placed his header low and beyond the reach of goalkeeper Dara Vireak.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by AFC (@theafchub)

The downside is an early yellow card collected by star striker Ousman Gai, his second of the knockout stage. It appears that he will be unable to take part in the crucial second leg.

The forward headlines a large contingent of Gambians that also includes midfielder Manneh, the club captain, along with Baboucarr Touray, Modou Joof and David Sambou. Most of the group arrived over the past couple of seasons from top Gambian club Real de Banjul along with a couple of other signings from the GFA First Division including goalkeeper Omar Njie.

Joined by Cameroonian winger Dilane Tafem and Ghanaian defender Daniel Ashley, the club have established themselves as top contenders in the Philippines Football League (PFL) where Digger lost in the playoff final last season.

The recently professionalized top division in the East Asian country still has large gaps between its top clubs and lesser teams. Ousman Gai averages over one goal per match in league play with 21 strikes, and has added 6 goals in 6 AFC Challenge League matches to move level with Peprah in second place among the competition’s top scorers.