Losing painfully to Thailand, Cambodia's dream of meeting Vietnam in the AFF Cup semi-finals was shattered

The Thai team entered the match against Cambodia having already qualified for the group stage of the 2024 AFF Cup. Coach Masatada Ishii fielded a squad consisting of many reserve players and played without too much intensity. Taking advantage of this, the Cambodian team played proactively and tried to attack right after the opening whistle.

Indeed, the Angkor warriors surprised everyone with an emotional performance. The first chance of the match fell to Cambodia. Rotana received the ball in the penalty area but he lacked confidence and could not score. After many remarkable attacks, Cambodia finally got what they needed.

In the 32nd minute, Rotana escaped down the right wing, he kept the ball well before making a pass back for Nieto to run in and finish close to the goal to open the score. Having taken the lead, the Cambodian team played much more confidently and were close to the second goal. However, they were soon doused with cold water by the home team.

In the 33rd minute, Worachi eliminated 2 Cambodian players and shot dangerously from a distance. Goalkeeper Ly Heng successfully blocked the shot but Akarapong swooped in and scored a close-range equalizer for Thailand, tying the score at 1-1. After conceding the goal, Cambodia continued to play well. They had at least 2 more chances to score, but Kyra and Rotana continued to miss.

In the second half, coach Masatada Ishii brought Suphanat Mueanta and Ratree onto the field. The appearance of the stars quickly changed the game. The Cambodian team completely lost control of the game and could only chase the ball, enduring the attacks of the team from the land of the golden pagodas.

The squandering of opportunities made things difficult for Thailand. It was not until the 78th minute that Akarapong raised the score to 2-1 for the Thai team when 2 Cambodian defenders made mistakes allowing him to enter the penalty area. A few minutes later, Chalermsak raised the score to 3-1 before Cambodia scored another equalizer and the match ended with a result of 3-2 in favor of Thailand. Cambodia was officially eliminated from the group stage.