Sri Lanka’s national football team at last cleared a hurdle after beating Cambodia 4-2, a decision that had to come through a penalty shootout in their second round game played at Phnom Penh Stadium on Tuesday (10).
This was the second leg of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asia Cup Qualifiers playoffs after the first leg ended in a draw in Colombo last week.
The match initially ended in a 2-2 stalemate after extra time too. It was then that the penalty shootout was called for by the referee.
Sri Lanka’s goal keeper Sujan Perera was the hero as he saved the first two penalty kicks that made his team finish off with a 4-2 victory in the end.
For Sri Lanka, Jack Hingert, Samuel Durrant, Oliver James and Leon Perera were successful in their attempts at penalty kicks.
This win will boost their enthusiasm in this most prestigious tournament held in the Asian continent.
Sri Lanka took the lead in the 37th minute when Oliver Kellart fired a left footer that caught the Cambodian custodian Vireak Dara by surprise. Sri Lanka led 1-0 at half time.
The home team came out strong having made a couple of changes and scored the equaliser through striker Sosian Nhean that turned the game into an exciting contest thereafter.
Sikent Hav scored for Cambodia during extra time and Sri Lanka equalised again through a goal by Claudio Matthias. Thereafter the penalty shootout was called for. (TBR)
