Recently, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) announced that the national team will face Cambodia in a friendly match at Gò Đậu Stadium (Bình Dương) on March 19. This will serve as a warm-up game for the “Golden Dragon” before entering the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Cambodian media acknowledges Vietnam’s impressive performance at AFF Cup 2024 (Photo: Hướng Dương).
The Cambodian press is highly enthusiastic about their team facing the AFF Cup 2024 champions. Khmer Times published an article titled: “Cambodian National Team Set to Challenge AFF Cup 2024 Champions in March.”
The publication commented: “On March 19, the Cambodian national team will face Vietnam at Gò Đậu Stadium (Bình Dương). The Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) has accepted the invitation from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). This will be Cambodia’s first match of 2025.
Cambodian fans are thrilled with the invitation from the AFF Cup 2024 champions. Vietnam had a flawless campaign, winning the tournament without losing a single match. Their achievements have left Southeast Asian football fans astonished.
As such, Cambodian supporters are eagerly anticipating the upcoming match. This year, Cambodia hasn’t participated in any official tournaments, having been eliminated in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup.
At AFF Cup 2024, Cambodia did not face Vietnam. Cambodia was placed in Group A and finished fourth with four points. Historically, the Angkor Warriors have never advanced beyond the group stage of the AFF Cup.”
Cambodia’s squad includes several naturalized players (Photo: FFC).
Khmer Times also highlighted striker Nguyễn Xuân Son: “Vietnam’s success at AFF Cup 2024 was largely due to naturalized forward Xuân Son. He scored seven goals, becoming the tournament’s top scorer.”
In the FIFA rankings, Vietnam currently sits at 114th place. In February’s rankings, they are expected to climb two spots to 112th. Meanwhile, Cambodia ranks 180th globally.
Cambodia’s current squad features several naturalized players, including Hikaru Mizuno, Yudai Ogawa (of Japanese origin), Andrés Nieto (Colombia), Nick Taylor (USA), Abdel Kader Coulibaly (Ivory Coast), and Mohammed Khan (South Africa).
Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bao-campuchia-phan-khich-khi-doi-nha-gap-tuyen-viet-nam-20250211144904518.htm
