Quick Facts
Biography
Chan Vathanaka (Khmer: ចាន់ វឌ្ឍនាកា; born 23 January 1994) is a Cambodian footballer who plays as a Forward and Midfielder for J3 League club Fujieda MYFC and the Cambodia national team.
Club career
Preah Khan Reach
Vathanaka to Senior team Preah Khan Reach in year 2011-2012
Boeung Ket Angkor
Season 2015 On 1 August 2015 Vathanaka scored all six goals in a 6-0 win over Asia Europe United. Impressively this was not even his best accomplishment in a 12-2 over Kirivong Sok Sen Chey on 11 July 2015 Vathanaka scored eight goals, the highest tally for a Cambodian-born player in the league as well as giving him 16 goals in the first 8 games of the 2015 season.
In the semifinals of the 2015 Mekong Club Championship Vathanaka scored all three goals in a 3-2 win over Becamex Bình Dương, putting Boeung Ket Angkor in the final. Although Boeung Ket Angkor lost in the final to Buriram United, Vathanaka finished the tournament as the highest goalscorer with 5 goals and was also named best player.
Vathanaka finished the 2015 league season with 35 goals, a total of 55 goals in all competitions include national and club, the most of any Southeast Asian player.
Season 2016 In his first start of the 2016 season Vathanaka scored a hat-trick in under 5 minutes as Boeung Ket Angkor beat CMAC FC 6-0.
In a match against Svay Rieng on 21 May 2016 Vathanaka scored goals in the 85th, 89th, and 90+3rd minute as his team came from behind to win 3-1. The first goal, an audacious left-foot volley from a cross was touted of one of the goals of the 2016 season.
On 28 July 2016 Vathanaka scored a goal by his free kicked between the match Cambodia and Singapore in a friendly match.Cambodia won their match with Singapore again after Jakarta Anniversary Tournament in 1972.
Vathanaka finished the 2016 Cambodian League as the top scorer for the second consecutive year with 22 goals, as his team Boeung Ket Angkor dramatically won the title on the last match day by a single point.
Fujieda MYFC
Fujieda MYFC in J3 League loan Vathanaka from Boeung Ket Angkor in season 2017.
International career
He made his senior international debut on 22 March 2013 in a 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualification match against Turkmenistan.
Vathanaka played an important part in Cambodia's campaign in the 2018 World Cup qualification, in the first qualifying game he came off the bench to score two goals, the second a thunderous free-kick, in a 3-0 home win over Macau.
International goals
Senior
| Chan Vathanaka – goals for Cambodia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |
| 1. | 8 October 2014 | Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei |  Chinese Taipei | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly Match | |
| 2. | 2–0 | ||||||
| 3. | 12 March 2015 | Army Stadium, Phnom Penh |  Macau | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) | |
| 4. | 2–0 | ||||||
| 5. | 28 July 2016 | Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh |  Singapore | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly Match | |
| 6. | 1 September 2016 | Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong |  Hong Kong | 2–3 | 2–4 | ||
| 7. | 21 October 2016 | Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh |  Timor-Leste | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2016 AFF Championship qualification | |
| 8. | 3–2 | ||||||
| 9. | 20 November 2016 | Thuwunna Stadium, Yangon |  Malaysia | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2016 AFF Championship | |
| 10. | 2–1 | ||||||
Under-23
| Chan Vathanaka – goals for Cambodia U23 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |
| 1. | 22 March 2015 | Jurong West, Singapore | Singapore | 1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 2. | 2–1 | ||||||
| 3. | 31 March 2015 | Bangkok, Thailand |  Philippines | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification | |
| 4. | 2–0 | ||||||
| 5. | 3 June 2015 | Kallang, Singapore | Philippines | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2015 Southeast Asian Games | |
| 6. | 8 June 2015 | Kallang, Singapore | Singapore | 1–2 | 3–1 | ||
| 7. | 10 June 2015 | Kallang, Singapore |  Myanmar | 3–1 | 3–3 | ||
Awards
Individual
- 2012 Cambodia best young player of the year
- 2013 Hun Sen Cup Golden Boot
- 2014 Cambodian League Most Valuable Player
- 2015 Cambodian League Most Valuable Player
- 2015 Cambodian League Golden Boot
- 2015 Mekong Club Championship: Most Valuable Player
- 2016 Cambodian League Most Valuable Player
- 2016 Cambodian League Golden Boot
Club
- Boeung Ket Angkor
- Cambodian League: 2016
- 2015 Mekong Club Championship: Runner up
Personal life
Since October 2015 Vathanaka has celebrated goals by kissing a tattoo on his right arm. The tattoo is a memorial to his parents and family. Vathanaka also has a passion for karaoke and music, while he was injured in September 2015 he spent 7 hours singing and recording songs with Cambodian singer Meas Soksophea.
In January 2016 Vathanaka became a goodwill ambassador for the cellphone company SEATEL.