The Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) has announced that three foreign-born players who recently acquired Cambodian citizenship have been officially approved by FIFA and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) to play for the Cambodian national team.

Thanks to the approval of their eligibility, they will now be available for the Kouprey as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, explained a December 4 FFC statement, released at 1pm.

The three players include Ose Takaki, a Japan-born defender, Neto Rondon, a Colombian-born forward, and Coulibaly Abdel Kader, a striker from Côte d'Ivoire.

It is widely believed that the availability of the three talented players – each of them a star in the Cambodian Premier League – will strengthen the national team’s campaign efforts at the prestigious regional tournament.

Takaki, Rondon, and Kader have already joined the national training camp at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, where they expressed their excitement and commitment to representing Cambodia.

Rondon, who plays for Phnom Penh Crown, shared his enthusiasm, saying, “I am very excited and honoured to wear the national team jersey and to be part of this beautiful country.”

Three foreign-born players, from Japan, Columbia and Côte d'Ivoire, have been cleared by FIFA and the AFF to play for the Cambodian national team. FFC

The 2024 ASEAN Cup will begin on December 8 and run through January 5.

Cambodia has been placed in Group A, alongside Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Timor-Leste. The Kouprey will meet Malaysia and Timor-Leste on home turf, while facing Thailand and Singapore away. Group B consists of Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Laos.

The addition of the new players brings renewed expectations for Cambodian football fans, who are eager to see their team perform strongly in the regional tournament.