The Cambodian national futsal team and coaching staff pose for a photo before leaving for Thailand on October 31. FFC
The Cambodian national futsal team is ready to compete in the 2024 ASEAN Futsal Championship, despite the challenging prospect of facing tough opposition. The team touched down in Thailand on October 31, ahead of the November 2 to November 10 tournament.
Following three weeks of intensive training at the Rithy Jeseda Arena, which began on October 9, a squad of 14 players from four clubs – Lucky FC, Mehil Seoul Youn Gun, Dig FC and Ovmal FC – was selected, from a pool of 19 of the Kingdom’s best futsal athletes.
Cambodia finds itself in Group B and will kick off its campaign against Indonesia on November 4, followed by matches against Myanmar on November 5 and Australia on November 6.
Group A also includes strong teams, including hosts Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Timor-Leste and Brunei, with their matches beginning on November 2.
As the team arrived in the neighbouring Kingdom, head coach Ney Bunsopheatra explained that the team would be training at Port FC’s Kodang field in Bangkok. They will continue their preparations there, before heading to Nakhon Ratchasima for the tournament.
The team trains at home in Cambodia ahead of the ASEAN Futsal Championship 2024, hosted by Thailand. FFC
Bunsopheatra expressed optimism in the team’s readiness.
“In the three weeks we spent training, I’ve seen significant improvement in our players’ understanding of tactics and gameplay. The national team will strive to achieve good results,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the high level of competition, noting that Indonesia, Australia and Myanmar all performed well in the recent AFC Futsal Asian Championship, reaching the final stages. In contrast, Cambodia was eliminated early, finishing last in Group G after a tough series of matches against Uzbekistan, Iraq and Malaysia.
“The teams we will face are all strong – all of them reached the final rounds of the AFC tournament. We will be competing against teams that are all at a higher level than us,” he warned.
Members of the national futsal team listen to their coaches describe team tactics ahead of the ASEAN tournament. FFC
Despite these challenges, the coach remained hopeful.
“Even if the other teams are stronger, we will give our best effort and aim for a positive outcome. Whether we win or draw, we hope to score and perform well in our matches,” he said.
