The hard-fought December 8 ASEAN Cup match between Cambodia (in blue) and Malaysia ended in a historic 2-2 draw. FFC
The Cambodian national football team secured a historic 2-2 draw against a strong Malaysian side in their opening match of the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, a result that marked the first time in 53 years the two teams had played to a stalemate.
Despite the massive lift, Cambodia’s Japanese coach Koji Gyotoku acknowledged that while the draw was a positive result for Cambodia, there were still key areas for improvement.
In the Sunday night group A match – held at Phnom Penh’s National Olympic Stadium – the Kingdom’s players demonstrated their resolve but struggled to match Malaysia’s technical and tactical quality.
“Malaysia’s players, both in terms of technique and tactical execution, are ahead of us,” said Koji after the match. “For us, managing to draw is already a good outcome, but there is still a lot to work on.”
He noted that his squad had only five days of preparation before the match, which made team coordination and chemistry a challenge.
“We gathered the players only five days ago, so we still haven’t found a perfect rhythm,” he explained.
“The players did well in executing what we planned, but there are still aspects of their play that need improvement,” he added.
Newly-nationalised striker Abdel Kader Coulibaly celebrates with his teammates after scoring on debut. FFC
The match itself was an intense and hard-fought affair. The home side’s determination was evident as they pressed Malaysia throughout the game, but the visitors took the lead in the 35th minute thanks to a brilliant strike from Stuart John Wilkin, who made it 1-0 with a well-timed finish.
However, Cambodia responded positively after the break. In the 52nd minute, midfielder Kim Sok Yuth provided a brilliant assist to newly nationalised player Abdel Kader Coulibaly, who calmly slotted home the equaliser to make it 1-1.
The game continued to ebb and flow, with the Kingdom eventually taking the lead in the 60th minute. Substitute striker Sar Ti made an immediate impact, scoring from a corner delivered by Yudia Ogawa, putting Cambodia 2-1 ahead and sending the home fans into a frenzy.
But Malaysia wasn’t finished. In the 74th minute, Fergus Tierney equalised with a superb long-range strike that beat Cambodian goalkeeper Vira Dara, leaving the match tied 2-2.
Kim Sok Yuth, who was named best player of the match for Cambodia, expressed his mixed feelings after the game.
“I’m happy with the team’s performance because we all worked hard together. But I’m also a bit disappointed that we didn’t win,” he said.
National coach Koji Gyotoku acknowledged that while the draw was a positive result, he has many improvements planned for the Kouprey. FFC
For Cambodian supporters, the draw felt significant, as it ended a 53-year drought since their last win over Malaysia in 1970. Since then, Cambodia had lost 13 consecutive encounters against their Southeast Asian rivals.
Malaysian coach Pau Marti Vicente also praised Cambodia’s performance.
“Cambodia played well, especially in terms of team organisation, speed and movement off the ball,” he noted, adding “It was a difficult match for us”.
With the draw, Cambodia temporarily move into second place in group A behind Thailand, who had secured a 10-0 victory over Timor-Leste on Sunday. The team will travel to Singapore on December 11, while Malaysia will host Timor-Leste.
The draw is a positive sign for Cambodia as they continue to rebuild their national team under Coach Koji, but the team remains focused on further development ahead of their next fixtures in the ASEAN Cup.
