Cambodia’s U23 national football team concluded their Group G campaign in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 qualifiers with their best-ever record. Although they did not advance to the finals, last night’s 0-0 draw with regional powerhouses Iraq saw the Young Kouprey keep a clean scoresheet for all three group matches.
Head coach Koji Gyotoku said he was proud of how hard his players had fought in Group G as hosts, especially in the decisive clash against Iraq. He said the team gave everything to ensure a positive result.
“We already knew Iraq were very strong. In the first half we struggled to keep up, so we made some adjustments to defend better. The players really gave their all until the final whistle, and I’m satisfied with this draw,” he said.
In Tuesday night’s group decider at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Iraq — who had thrashed Pakistan 8-1 and edged Oman 1-0 — put Cambodia under constant pressure. They created many chances, but goalkeeper Rat Liheng pulled off several big saves, while Cambodia’s defenders blocked other attempts to keep the score level.
The draw secured Iraq top spot in Group G with 7 points, sending them through to the finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.
Iraq coach Emad Mohammed spoke to the media after the match.
“We thank Cambodia for their warm hospitality. Although Iraq advanced, I’m not fully satisfied with a draw against Cambodia,” he said.
He praised the Cambodian players for their fighting spirit and said he believed the team would grow stronger in the future.
“I’m confident that in the years ahead, Cambodia will improve greatly and could become one of the strong teams in the region,” he added.
The 0-0 result meant Cambodia finished second in Group G with 5 points, ahead of Oman (4 points) and Pakistan (0). However, Cambodia did not rank among the four best second-placed teams and therefore missed out on qualification.
“I feel sad that we couldn’t advance, but I’m proud of my teammates. We fought hard against very strong opponents in a tough group. Today we worked really hard — Iraq pressed us heavily and we only had chances to defend,” said Cambodian forward Voeun Va.
Despite missing out, Cambodia set a new milestone as hosts of Group G: they went unbeaten, conceded no goals in all three matches, drew 0-0 with both Oman and Iraq, and beat Pakistan 1-0.
Their Japanese coach Koji highlighted the outstanding performances of goalkeeper Reth Ly Heng.
“As many know, Ly Heng came up through the Bati Academy. From what I saw then until now, I’ve trusted him completely, which is why he played all three matches,” he said.
