Hanoi, 7 August 2026 – Cambodia head coach Koji Gyotoku believes his team’s previous encounters with Vietnam helped them produce a much stronger performance despite suffering a 3-1 defeat in their final ASEAN Cup 2026 Group A match at My Dinh Stadium on Thursday.
Vietnam took the lead in the 18th minute through Nguyen Dinh Bac, but Cambodia refused to back down and remained competitive throughout the contest. Their persistence was rewarded in the 71st minute when Brazilian-born naturalized forward Iago Bento capitalized on a defensive mistake to level the score at 1-1, handing Vietnam their first goal conceded in the tournament.
However, the defending champions responded strongly in the closing stages. Pressure from Nguyen Xuan Son forced defender Im Vakhim into an own goal in the 84th minute before Dinh Bac completed his brace five minutes later to seal a 3-1 victory and secure top spot in Group A.
Speaking after the match, Gyotoku praised his players for following the game plan and competing well against one of Southeast Asia’s strongest teams.
“We had a clear plan and a very good tactical approach for this match. Our young players also performed well. The result could have been different, but after conceding the second goal and losing a player to injury, the team’s mentality was affected. Vietnam then regained control of the game.”
The defeat marked Cambodia’s third loss of the group stage. They previously fell 2-1 to Singapore and 5-1 to Indonesia, with their only victory coming in a 3-0 win over Timor-Leste. Cambodia, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste were eliminated, while Vietnam and Singapore advanced to the semifinals.
Gyotoku suggested that familiarity with Vietnam played a key role in his team’s improved performance compared to their heavy defeat against Indonesia.
“We didn’t know much about Indonesia because it was my first time facing them. In contrast, we had already played Vietnam in 2025, so I had much more information and more ideas on how to approach the match.”
The Japanese coach was referring to Cambodia’s 2-1 defeat in an international friendly against Vietnam in March 2025 at Binh Duong Stadium. Since their first meeting in 1995, Cambodia have now lost all 12 matches against Vietnam, scoring just nine goals while conceding 51.
Vietnam entered Thursday’s match without starting three naturalized players after they reportedly suffered stomach problems and missed training the previous day. Nguyen Xuan Son and Nguyen Tai Loc were introduced after halftime, with Gyotoku admitting that Xuan Son had a particularly significant impact on the game.
“It’s very difficult to stop him. Vietnam have very few weaknesses. They are a very strong team and one of the favorites to reach the final.”
Vietnam will discover their semifinal opponents after the conclusion of Group B on August 8. Kim Sang-sik’s side will face the group runners-up, with the first leg scheduled away on August 16 before hosting the decisive return leg at My Dinh Stadium on August 19.
VSN/RPT
Leave a Reply