Phnom Penh: Cambodia face an already eliminated Timor-Leste side at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on Tuesday knowing that anything less than a win would end their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.
In their most recent outing, Cambodia suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Singapore in their second Group A match on December 11. A couple of quickfire first-half goals gave the Singaporeans three points against the plucky away side, who had outplayed the Lions for most of the game.
Cambodia belied their status as the third lowest-ranked team in the tournament by dominating proceedings and deservedly got back into the game when Sieng Chanthea pulled one back before the hour mark. Despite a valiant effort against the four-time champions, the Koupreys were undone by defensive mistakes that proved costly.
Following that defeat, the Koupreys know that victory against the Timorese in Phnom Penh still gives them hope of advancing to the next round. Cambodia are targeting a first-ever knockout stage berth in the tournament in what is their 10th group stage appearance and their coach Koji Gyotoku is aiming to take full advantage of playing in front of what's expected to be another bumper home crowd.
However, Cambodia will take to the pitch without their captain Kan Mo who has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign after a collision to the head in the match against Singapore, which required 10 stitches.
Meanwhile, Timor-Leste, who are now officially eliminated, will round off their campaign hoping for a historic first point in the ASEAN championship. The Timorese, on their return to the tournament after a four-year absence, have lost all three outings in Group A so far. Simon Elissetche's side opened with a tough 10-0 defeat at the hands of defending champions Thailand before taking the lead only to suffer a narrow 3-2 loss to Malaysia.
In their most recent outing, it took 76 minutes for Singapore to break the deadlock. It looked as though Timor-Leste, just three days after pushing Malaysia all the way, were on course for a historic first point but a late flurry of goals condemned them to a 3-0 defeat, their third straight loss.
The Timorese’s hopes of progression are already extinguished but a good defensive display may just provide them with an opportunity to nick something away from home in the Cambodian capital.
Tuesday will be the first meeting between the two sides in the ASEAN Championship group stage and both know that a win would bring a positive note to an otherwise disappointing campaign.
Cambodia vs Timor-Leste
Venue: National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Kick-off: 17 December, 5:45 PM (Local Time)
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