Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC coach Conor Nestor: Going “one better” in 2022

Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC coach Conor Nestor sat down with Khmer Nights to discuss the Cambodian Premier League, his hopes for the season and a whole bunch of other footy related stuff!

To read about the new Cambodian Premier League click here.

Wo are Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng FC?

The club can trace its lineage back to 1997. It’s one of the most successful teams in the country, having won two C-League titles as well as a record 4 Hun Sen Cups. The side also managed an unprecedented 33 game unbeaten streak before the pandemic. Alas 2021 ended up with the club playing bridesmaid rather than the bride. it finished as runners-up in both the league and the Cup under the leadership of proud Irishman and one of the most respected managers in the league, Conor Nestor.

To read about the culmination of the 2021 season click here. 

Q: Tell us a bit about your background and how you ended up in Cambodia?

A: I worked as a development officer for the football association of Ireland for 10 years. I was tasked with producing elite players and developing coach education within the clubs in my area and was fortunate to work with a Limerick FC team that won a national U-19 championship. I was also very lucky to work with many young boys who went on to have excellent careers in England.

Q: Last year must have been pretty heartbreaking, having come in second in both competitions. Did you see it as a success overall though?

A: Well falling short is never seen as a success and nor should it be. But over the last three seasons we have won more games than any other team. To only have one league title, considering how consistent the players have been in the midst of a global pandemic, is heartbreaking. At the same time we have managed to integrate a new generation of players. So I believe the future is bright for our club

Q: You’ve lost arguably one of the best players in the league, but you brought in Markus Haber as well as other signings. How prepared are you for the season?

A: Players like Privat cannot be replaced with one individual. You need to do it with a spread of improvements. Marcus is certainly someone who will help us improve and so are our other additions Odawara, Mizuno and Long Phearath.

Q: What are your thoughts on the new Cambodian Premier League (CPL) and what do you think about the new under 22 rule (explanation included in the answer) 

A: When I first moved to the league in 2018 people warned me about a lack of professionalism. My experience hasn’t been like that. The professionals I’ve met in terms of players, coach’s and league administrators have been passionate and hard working. The under 22 rule is not one I’m a fan of. I understand what the idea is and believe me I want Cambodia to win the SEA games as much as anybody. But in practical terms saying two under 22s must play is counterproductive. Last year we played five U-22s in 10 games or more. How did we achieve that? Well it was simple. We put at least one U-22 player in every position and allowed that player to compete with an older player. We didn’t stockpile experienced players in one position. We created room for the young boys to compete. However when you enforce a rule like this the practicality of it means if I play an under 22 right back and another left midfield? I now need back up u22s in those positions so that when I make a substitute of a young player it doesn’t upset the balance or cause us to make two substitutions. The end result of this will mean this year five U-22s won’t play 10 games or more for us because the rule just isn’t practical. Also why spend all this money becoming a UEFA licensed coach if someone who doesn’t even see the players everyday is going to effectively pick the team?

Q: Who do you see as your biggest rivals this season and which players should we look out for?

A: Our biggest rivals are ourselves. We need to be better than we were last year and get to the highest levels we reached in the past. To do that we must improve on our own team, the one that went 33 games unbeaten before the pandemic hit. I wouldn’t tell fans who to cheer for. I’d just encourage people to get to games. There is nothing quite like live football and Khmer football is going to reach new heights pretty soon

To read about watching football in Cambodia click here.

Q: How can we get more expats into games?

A: Honestly, the biggest things needed to get and keep fans is improved facilities. Fields and floodlights for me are a higher priority than paper work and I hope the CPL start to demonstrate that. The standard of football is good enough to attract interest. We need to bring the standards surrounding the players up to the same level.

How can you watch football in Cambodia?

And Khmer Nights could not agree more with Conor’ssentiment about getting more expat fans into stadiums. The quality of football in Cambodia has really improved over the last few years and with games on weekends, there really is no reason to not give it a try.

And as to how well Conor Nestor has settled into Cambodian life aside from football? He notes, “Anyone that knows me will tell you that I am a 100 percent proud Irishman, but Cambodia is my home and I love the club, our players and our owner and am I am proud of what we have achieved”. 

Conor Nestor is far from the only Irishman flying the sporting flag high in the Kingdom, Khmer Nights offering a firm thanks to Ronan Sheehan, one of the pioneers of Gaelic Football within the country, for his help setting up this Q&A.