The Sri Lankan team celebrate a famous win at the National Olympic Stadium, eliminating Cambodia from the Asian Cup qualifiers. Supplied
The Cambodian national team has once again endured heartbreak, after being eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers by Sri Lanka.
The Kouprey were unable to maintain a 2-1 lead, conceding a late equaliser in extra time. They lost a subsequent penalty shootout, meaning the Sri Lankans will continue on the path to the cup, set to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
The “Golden Army”, led by coach Abdullah Almutairi, celebrated their victory after a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout win, which surprised many pundits. Even after the win, Sri Lanka was ranked 205 in the world, some way below the Kingdom’s 180 spot.
The second leg of the qualifiers – which followed a 0-0 draw in Colombo – took place at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh last night.
Sri Lankan forward Oliver James scored the opening goal in the 38th minute. However, Cambodian forward Sosidan Nhean equalised with a stunning shot from outside the box in the 51st minute, tying the score at 1-1. The score remained poised at one all into extra time.
In the first 15 minutes of extra time, Cambodian midfielder Sos Suhana, who recently returned to the national team, scored a brilliant goal in the 99th minute after coming on to a pass from Mo Kan. Forward Ty Sa followed with a strong shot in the 104th minute to give Cambodia a 3-1 lead. However, the referee disallowed the goal, citing an offside.
In the final 15 minutes of extra time, Cambodia had several chances to score but failed to capitalise. Focusing heavily on defence to protect their 2-1 lead, Cambodia was devastated when Sri Lankan defender Claudio Kammerknecht scored the equaliser in the 120+2 minute, making it 2-2.
In the resulting penalty shootout, Cambodian forward Nicolas Taylor and midfielder Orn Chanpolin both missed their penalties, while Lim Pisoth and Soeuy Visal were able to convert theirs. Unfortunately, all four Sri Lankan players successfully found the net, defeating Cambodia 4-2 and advancing to the third round of the AFC Asian Cup.
Sosidan Nhean searches for a way through the Sri Lankan defence during the September 10 Asian Cup qualifier. He scored a stunning equaliser in the 51st minute. Supplied
Several of the Kingdom’s players, including captain Yudai Ogawa and Mo Kan, were visibly emotional, shedding tears over the heartbreaking loss on home soil.
Following the disappointing result, Cambodian coach Felix Dalmas addressed a press conference.
“Our team tried hard from the first minute to win. We really wanted to win, and the players gave everything they had. But sometimes football requires luck, and today luck was not on our side,” the Argentine said.
He called on fans to stop criticising the players, explaining that they had sacrificed a lot and were more devastated by the loss than the fans. He urged more unity and support if the team is to improve and succeed in the future.
“The players came to win because if they didn’t want to win, they would have stayed home rather than face criticism. They made both physical and mental sacrifices, leaving their families to train and compete. But now they face harsh criticism, which they don’t deserve,” he added.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Dalmas remained optimistic, noting that Cambodia could become stronger with more unity.
“We must all come together as one on the same path. Cambodia is on the right path for the future if we move forward together. I say this because I love Cambodia, love the Cambodian players, and want to win for all of you,” he shared.
