Cambodia head coach Koji Gyotoku has targeted a first-ever run to the knockout rounds when his team line up in the group phase of the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup™, the jewel in the crown of ASEAN football, in July and August.
The Cambodians have never advanced beyond the opening round of the competition in nine previous appearances in the finals of the ASEAN Championship, but the experienced Japanese tactician wants to build on his team’s strong showing in 2024.
“At the last competition, I took this team and in the home games, (we registered) a 2-2 draw with Malaysia and a 2-1 win over Timor-Leste, we had very good performances,” says the former Nepal and Bhutan coach.
“Away, we lost to Singapore and also to Thailand, but against Thailand, the players made it a very tough match and made great effort.
“This time the players have changed, some new players will come in and I will try to make a new system. We will try our best and we want to go to the semi-finals,” added Gyotoku, who has worked in Cambodia since 2019.
Gyotoku’s task has been made more difficult by a demanding draw that sees the Cambodians open their Group A campaign on July 24 against four-time winners Singapore in Phnom Penh before travelling to take on six-time runners-up Indonesia one week later.
Cambodia will then host either Timor-Leste or Brunei on August 3 before closing out their group phase commitments against defending champions Vietnam four days later in the Hyundai Cup™, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year.
The 61-year-old former defender is placing his faith in a squad that has been strengthened since the previous edition of the competition, coupled with the work done by the country’s leading clubs to further enhance the talent pool available.
“The Hyundai Cup™ is at the end of the season, so I don’t know about the condition of the players,” he says.
“Some players will be tired, some players will be injured but last year, some players joined who are naturalised players and the Cambodia national team is now stronger than before.
“Many foreign players have come to Cambodia and they have played well with the Cambodian players and they have given good knowledge and experience to the Cambodian players.
“Some clubs have a lot of money and they spend a lot on the team. They play in the (ASEAN Club Championship) Shopee Cup™ and the AFC Challenge League and that has given them good experience. The clubs support the national team.”
Gyotoku’s squad will be built around the likes of PKR Svay Rieng FC’s Min Ratanak, Sareth Krya and Sieng Chanthea as well as Thailand-based midfielder Nick Taylor, and the coach insists the build-up to the Hyundai Cup™ will be key to his team’s chances of success.
“Cambodian football is now developing and some of the clubs have very good foreign players,” he says. “I’m not sure how much preparation time we will have for the Hyundai Cup™ but, as always, we will do our best.
“The target is very clear. The Cambodian team have never gone to the knockout stage and this time this is our real target.”
Hyundai Cup™ 2026 will be held from July 24 to August 26, with home-or-away Group Stage matches and the semi-finals and final to be played on a home-and-away basis.
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