Founded in 2005, Happy Football Cambodia Australia (HFCA) has been at the forefront of nurturing Cambodia’s underprivileged youth through football.

Their latest power move is a collaboration with CJ Coaching, a European-based outfit with a roster of supremely talented trainers set to provide advanced training to Cambodian coaches, and more importantly, to the nation’s poorer children.

Paraic Grogan, the visionary behind HFCA, expects big things from the partnership.

With CJ Coaching boasting coaches certified by UEFA and the English FA, Grogan believes this will take football for the less privileged children of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap province to unprecedented heights.

“We run four football programmes, in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap,” Grogan said on July 20.

“Our staff comprises former HFCA coaches who have now transitioned into our coaching team.

“We’ve trained children we discovered elsewhere, and some from the Cambodian Children’s Fund courtesy of its founder, Scott Neeson.”

Grogan added that the alliance with CJ Coaching was largely due to their highly skilled European coaches.

Their expertise, he believes, will enhance the football training provided by the HFCA, thus broadening the horizons for Cambodia’s underprivileged children.

CJ Coaching’s chief operating officer Jay Wood mirrored Grogan’s sentiments. “We’re committed to importing coaches from Europe, England and Ireland to professionalise football in Cambodia.

“Partnering with HFCA seemed a logical step given their outstanding work, particularly in training children and young people living in poverty,” he said”.

The man behind CJ Coaching, Colum Curtis, holds the highest UEFA Pro licence and previously led teams at Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng and Visakha FC.

Curtis has managed to attract numerous gifted foreign coaches to his organisation, including goodwill ambassador Thierry Chantha Bin, a successful professional player in Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand.

CJ Coaching’s mission is to enhance education and inspire their players, with open arms to all, from toddlers to top-tier talent.

Their football programme has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of boys and girls aged four to 17.

Following a meeting with Grogan, Curtis revealed his conviction that partnering with HFCA was the right move.

“Both of us are working to increase participation in football and improve its coaching throughout Cambodia,” Curtis commented.

He highlighted: “HFCA has a solid base and has worked with numerous children. Our hope is to elevate the success of ongoing programmes”.

CJ Coaching already appears to be making a mark. Chum Chanthou, who underwent a week of training with a Portuguese coach from the organisation, couldn’t help but praise their meticulous approach.

“I saw how attentive they were to training and football skills,” she exclaimed.

She enthused: “Immediate adjustments were made to any shortcomings to enhance the quality of our football”.