Cambodia's national football team, coached by Koji Gyotoku, is gearing up for their final match in Group A of the ASEAN Cup 2026 against Vietnam. Although Cambodia has already been eliminated from the tournament after losing their first two matches to Singapore and Indonesia, the coach insists that his team will not give up easily.

After a disappointing start, Cambodia managed to secure a 3-0 victory over Timor Leste, which has provided a boost of confidence to the players. Gyotoku expressed that this win has motivated the team, maintaining a positive atmosphere despite the absence of three players who have returned to their clubs, including forward Mat Noron and Sieng Chanthea.

Gyotoku stated, "This is a great opportunity for the players to experience competing against a strong opponent. Winning against Vietnam is one of our goals, and we view this match as preparation for the upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup next month." Currently, Cambodia sits fourth in Group A with three points, trailing Indonesia by three points and both Singapore and Vietnam by four points.

While Cambodia has no chance of advancing, their performance could still impact the qualification race for the teams above them. A draw against Vietnam could help either Singapore or Indonesia secure the top spot in the group. Theoretically, if Cambodia were to win against Vietnam by a score of 9-0 while Indonesia defeats Singapore 1-0, they could even eliminate the defending champions from the tournament.

However, Cambodia has a challenging history against Vietnam, having lost 11 consecutive matches since 1995 and never scoring more than two goals in any of those encounters. Vietnam is currently regarded as the stronger team and has more motivation to perform well. Despite this, Gyotoku remains optimistic, noting that Vietnam has shown vulnerabilities in their attacking play, as evidenced by their draw against Singapore.

Gyotoku concluded, "We will focus on both individual and team defense. The team also aims to have moments of ball possession or counter-attacks to create opportunities. Although Cambodia has lost to Vietnam 11 times in a row, perhaps there will be a surprise in this 12th match."