The Cambodia U17 football team achieved a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Macau U17 on Monday night at the National Olympic Stadium, continuing their winning streak in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers. 

The win follows their 1-0 defeat over Bangladesh U17 earlier in the week, propelling Cambodia to the top of Group B – at least temporarily. Despite the result, however, Koji Gyotoku, head coach of the “Young Kouprey”, was far from satisfied with his team's performance.

The only goal of the match came in the 16th minute, courtesy of midfielder Pov Pimakara. Despite the win, coach Koji, who also manages the senior national team, expressed disappointment with his squad's overall display, labelling their play as “far from acceptable”.

“I am not happy with how we played today,” he said in the post-match press conference. “Claiming three points is good, but apart from that, the performance was poor. We need to change everything.”

The match was particularly frustrating for the Japanese coach, as Macau was reduced to 10 men in just the 13th minute when defender Tang Tin was sent off for a red card. With an extra player on the field for the majority of the match, many expected Cambodia to score more goals, but they struggled to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

The Macau side (in green) was forced to play defensively after defender Tang Tin was shown a red card in the 13th minute. FFC

“The fact that we won does not mean we played well,” noted Koji.

“Our opponents weren't playing at their best, and we failed to take full advantage of the situation. We didn't play the way I wanted, and the players need to understand what is required for the next match. They must give more effort, be clearer in their actions and show more focus,” he added.

Cambodian defender Loem Vatana was also critical of the team's performance, admitted that their play lacked rhythm and cohesion. 

“I think we didn’t play very well today,” he said. “Our teamwork was off, and we didn’t have good mental focus on the field. We need to improve that for our upcoming games.”

Exuberant members of the ‘Young Kouprey’, Cambodia’s U17 football side, celebrate their 1-0 win over Macau U17 on Monday night. FFC

Meanwhile, Macau’s coach, Emmanuel Libano, praised his players for their efforts despite the defeat, attributing the loss partly to the team's lack of familiarity with Cambodia's hot and humid conditions.

“We played better than I expected, especially given that we had to play with only 10 men for most of the match,” he said.

“But the players were still adjusting to the climate, and that affected our performance. I think we could have held on for a draw if we had kept all 11 players on the field,” he added.

Libano clearly believed that, had Macau not been reduced to 10 men, the result might have been very different. 

“If we had stayed at full strength, I believe the game could have ended in a draw. Playing with 10 players forces you to work harder defensively, and we had to stretch ourselves to keep up with Cambodia,” he said.

The Cambodian side’s Japanese coach Koji Gyotoku was unhappy with the team’s failure to take advantage of their numerical advantage. FFC

Looking ahead, it is clear that the young Cambodians will need to make serious improvements to their game. With two more matches left in the group stage – against Afghanistan U17 on October 25 and the Philippines U17 on the 27th – the stakes are high. Only the top team in each of the 10 groups, along with the five best second-place teams, will qualify for the knockout round, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.

Afghanistan U17 made a statement of their own with an 8-0 demolition of the Philippines earlier on Monday. Cambodia will need to focus on building a more cohesive, dynamic team if they are to make it past the group stage and into the AFC U17 Asian Cup.

As for coach Koji, the road ahead is clear: improvements must be made across the board if Cambodia is to succeed in the remainder of the qualifiers. 

“We will work on our weaknesses, and I hope to see a much better performance in the next match,” he announced.