With nine regions beginning their Group Stage run at the 32nd SEA Games Men’s MLBB event, Cambodia has caused a major upset early in the day.
Cambodia (KH) has definitely been causing a ruckus in MLBB for some time, with their teams often able to cause upsets and make their way into the upper echelons of international events. However, even with their own MPL event, the region sadly falls behind the likes of the Philippines, Indonesia, and even Malaysia when it comes to veteran ranks. With that said, today we saw exactly why KH is a feared region within the game, especially with the backing of hundreds of home fans cheering them on within the arena, at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games happening now in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
With strong drafts from both sides, ID seemed poised to take a quick victory in the best-of-one, especially with a sizeable lead and constant objective control. While Franco hooks came out during the early period, the defence of their base from the KH squad was immaculate, and by 20 minutes it was clear that the ID team was becoming frustrated. The game still went on to last 35 minutes, with KH finding pickoff and eventually securing a thrilling victory.
We caught up with Nehm Chandavan, the KH team’s Jungle lane player and player of the same role for CFU Gaming – runners up at the MPL KH Spring 2023 event, and he had some fantastic takes on his team’s victory:
We are very happy and overwhelmed to be able to beat Indonesia in this best-of-one series. We are really proud of the fact that we defended against the Indonesian team even though they kept pressuring us and had the advantage in the early game. But we were still able to push through and win the game.
Although the Cambodians still have a long way to go in the Group Stage, this victory could set them on a path to the gold medal if they continue to cause major upsets. For ID, they will be looking to put the defeat behind them and focus on their next few games. The action from the 32nd SEA Games Men’s MLBB event continues for the next few days, and with upsets already coming, it’s sure to get even more chaotic.
