The Football Federation of Cambodia has officially appointed Koji Gyotoku as head coach. FFC
The Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) has officially confirmed Japanese national Koji Gyotoku as head coach of the national football team and the U23 side. His appointment was announced by the FFC on the morning of March 10.
“The FFC is pleased to announce to the supporters of the Cambodia national football team that Koji Gyotoku has been officially appointed as the head coach of the Cambodia national football team and the Cambodia U23 national team. His contract is for a duration of one year,” said an official statement.
As interim coach, Koji has already led the Kouprey to victory in three international matches, most notably in the ASEAN Championship Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024.
Although the side was eliminated in the group stage of the tournament, under Koji’s leadership, they showed impressive quality.
The Kouprey won 2-1 against the Timor-Leste national team and drew 2-2 with the Malaysian national team on home soil. However, the Kingdom’s players also lost 2-1 to Singapore and 3-2 to Thailand in away matches.
Under Koji’s leadership the national squad rallied in the ASEAN Championship Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024. FFC
Cambodian fans have expressed strong support for the appointment of Koji, as they believe he has shown great leadership skills and has a clear understanding of the players’ abilities.
He has experience leading Cambodian youth sides, including the U16, U17, U18, U19, U20, and U23 squads.
In his first official duty as permanent coach, Koji will lead the Cambodian side in an international friendly against Vietnam on March 19, before the team take part in another friendly against Aruba at the National Olympic Stadium on March 25.
For the past month, Koji has been a regular fixture at key matches in the Cambodian Premier League, as well as the Hun Sen Cup, likely to monitor the performance of individual players ahead of calling them up for the national team.
In addition, several foreign players who recently received Cambodian citizenship – including Colombian forward Nieto Rondon and Japanese defenders Takaki Ose and Yudai Ogawa, as well as Côte d'Ivoire forward Coulibaly Abdel Kader – are also being closely watched by Koji, due to their strong performances in the ASEAN Championship Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024.
South African player Kanyar Mo, also recently acquired Cambodian citizenship and his recent impressive form suggests he must also be in the picture for a national jersey.
“Foreign players who have played for the Cambodia national team in the past are still eligible to represent Cambodia as long as they maintain high-quality performances and remain on the radar of the coach for future national team call-ups,” Keo Sarath previously told The Post.
Beyond the upcoming March friendlies, Koji will oversee the Kingdom’s path through the 2025 SEA Games, set to be held in Thailand at the end of the year.
The games are likely to be the primary focus of the talented coach in his first year at the helm of the national squad.
