Kim Sang-Sik, head coach of the ASEAN All-Stars team, has requested that the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) alter its player selection — replacing Neito Rondon with Khmer-Ivorian forward Coulibaly Abdel Kader — as the team prepares for an upcoming international charity friendly match against Manchester United, to be held in Malaysia on May 28.

According to a May 6 FFC statement, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has confirmed that, following a disciplinary ruling from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Rondon is ineligible to represent Cambodia in the upcoming match.

Rondon, a Colombian-Cambodian forward currently playing for Phnom Penh Crown, was automatically suspended under FIFA regulations after receiving a red card during a March 25 international friendly between Cambodia and Aruba.

“After receiving this information, head coach Kim Sang-Sik submitted a new request through the ASEAN Football Federation, proposing to replace Neito Rondon with Coulibaly Abdel Kader,” said the statement.

Striker Coulibaly Abdel Kader will represent Cambodia when the ASEAN All-Stars team take on Manchester United on May 28. FFC

Abdel Kader, currently playing for Angkor Tiger, and South African-Cambodian defender Kan Mo, who plays for Visakha, will join the ASEAN All-Stars squad as Cambodia’s national team representatives.

The ASEAN All-Stars team is composed of the top players selected from the national teams of all 11 ASEAN countries. So far, 17 players have been chosen by head coach Kim Sang-Sik for the squad's first-ever match against Manchester United.

This includes 4 players from Thailand, 3 from Vietnam, 2 from Cambodia, 2 from Indonesia and 1 each from Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei and Timor-Leste. No players from the Philippines were selected.

Defender No. 4 Can Mo, striker No. 10 Neito Rondon and No. 20 Coulibaly Abdel Kader appeared together for Cambodia in a friendly against Aruba. FFC