Cambodia’s U23 national football team has officially exited the ASEAN U23 Mandiri Cup 2025, after being unable to make history by defeating Vietnam — the defending champions of the last two competitions. In a close match, Cambodia once again fell short, narrowly going down 2-1 in the final minutes.
However, head coach Koji Gyotoku did not appear discouraged by the loss in Tuesday night’s Group B decider. He had already anticipated the gap in quality between the two teams would prove too much, noting Vietnam’s strong performance and well-organised structure.
“Before kickoff, I knew it would be very difficult because Vietnam U23 is a strong team. Their individual players are very good, and the team is well-prepared. There is a significant difference between them and us,” noted the Japanese coach.
In the match, held at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Indonesia, Vietnam took the lead in the 35th minute through a goal by Phan Ly Duc. Cambodia responded in the 62nd minute with a goal by Mon Rado, levelling the score at 1-1.
That equaliser brought great joy to Cambodian supporters, who remained hopeful their team could score again and defeat Vietnam to advance to the semifinals. However, Vietnam reclaimed the lead in the 83rd minute, thanks to a goal by Nguyen Dinh Bac.
With their 2-1 victory over Cambodia — added to their earlier 3-0 win over Laos — Vietnam finished at the top of Group B with a perfect six points, advancing to the semifinals to face the second-best team from Group A, the Philippines. Meanwhile, Indonesia (Group A winners) will face Thailand (Group C winners) in the other semifinal, scheduled for July 25.
Cambodia exited the tournament with only one point, having drawn 1-1 with Laos in their opening match before losing to the defending champions.
Nevertheless, Koji did not express disappointment over the early exit. His primary focus remains on the long-term development of the U23 squad. He emphasised the importance of continued participation in international competitions to raise the team’s quality so that they can eventually become competitive against strong regional teams like Vietnam and Thailand.
“We couldn’t get past the group stage, but we still have important matches ahead to try again. We must run more, train harder and make greater efforts,” he said.
He will soon take on an even more challenging task, when Cambodia host the Group G qualifiers for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers. The Kingdom’s young players will meet Oman on September 3, followed by Pakistan on September 6 and Iraq on September 9.
