Phnom Penh Crown striker Neto Rondon (in red) has been called up to join the Cambodian national team for the first time after he was granted Cambodian citizenship. Phnom Penh Crown
Three foreign-born players who have impressed with their performances in Cambodia's top football league have been called up by the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) to join the national team as it prepares for the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024. The tournament will run from December 8 to January 5 next year.
The three latest call-ups are Japanese defender Ose Takaki and Colombian forward Neto Rondon, who are both currently playing for league toppers Phnom Penh Crown, along with Ivorian forward Coulibaly Abdel Kader, signed to ISI Dangkor Senchey.
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The talented trio will join the Kouprey for the first time. According to an official team sheet released by the FFC on Sunday, the inclusion of the three is possible as they have fulfilled the requirement of five years of playing in Cambodia’s top competition, the Cambodian Premier League (CPL), in line with FIFA’s eligibility criteria for foreign players to obtain Cambodian citizenship.
With the addition of Takaki, Rondan and Coulibaly to the roster, Cambodia now has six foreign-born players who have been granted Cambodian citizenship.
Japanese defender Hikaru Mizuno (from Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng), South African defender Mohammed Faeez Khan (from Visakha), and Japanese midfielder Yudai Ogawa (from Phnom Penh Crown) have already received Cambodian citizenship and are part of the national team setup.
Japanese defender Ose Takaki (in red) chases down striker Coulibaly Abdel Kader as Phnom Penh Crown beat ISI Dangkor Senchey 1-0 on November 3. CPL
However, while the FFC has officially arranged for the three players to receive citizenship, the International Football Federation (FIFA) has not yet responded to Cambodia's request for approval of their eligibility.
FFC general manager Chhouk Piseth confirmed this in an interview on Monday, but noted that the federation has already submitted the necessary paperwork to FIFA.
“Once we receive approval from FIFA, we will include them in the lineup for the tournament,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding FIFA’s response, Piseth emphasised that the call-up of the three talented players is a positive step forward.
“We had to call them up to train with the national team in preparation for the tournament. If we receive FIFA's approval, they will be ready to compete immediately,” he added.
In addition to the three foreign-born players, 20 domestic players have also been selected for the national team’s training camp.
Cambodia has been placed in Group A of the ASEAN Cup alongside Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Timor-Leste. Cambodia will play Malaysia and Timor-Leste on home turf, while facing Thailand and Singapore away. Group B consists of Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Laos.
