Members of the Cambodian squad admitted that poor discipline – and two red cards – cost them the match. CPL/FFC
Japanese head coach Koji Gyotoku has yet to lead Cambodia’s national football team to victory in a match, as the Kouprey went down 2-1 to Aruba last night, at Phnom Penh’s National Olympic Stadium.
The scoreline mirrored their last international friendly, when they lost 2-1 to Vietnam on March 19.
Koji took full responsibility for the poor result, expressing his deep disappointment over the loss to the South American side.
He noted that the team’s game plan fell apart after conceding two early goals and losing two players to red cards.
“I am truly disappointed with the result, and I take full responsibility. I also apologise to the fans. I wanted to start with 11 players and finish with 11 players, but that didn’t happen. Instead, by the final whistle, we were left with only nine on the field,” he told a post-match press conference.
During the March 25 match, Aruba quickly took a fast 2-0 lead with goals from Walter Bennett in the 3rd minute and Rovien Ostiana in the 11th. Things got worst just before half time, when Yudai Ogawa received a red in the 43rd.
Cambodia responded in the 57th minute, when popular forward Nicholas Taylor scored a goal to bring the Kouprey back into the hunt.
The Cambodian national team (in blue) were defeated 2-1 by Aruba at the Olympic National Stadium last night. CPL/FFC
Despite holding on, the Kingdom’s players never looked like coming back in extra time, especially when Andrés Nieto was also shown red, in the 90th minute.
This was the first time Cambodia has received two red cards in a single match, which ultimately sealed their defeat.
“Our problem started immediately in the first half. We had possession, but when we lost the ball, Aruba’s physically strong forwards countered quickly, and we couldn’t stop them. Conceding two goals so early was a huge setback. This is one of my most disappointing matches. I’ve coached Cambodia’s U17, U18, U19 and U20 teams, but I’ve never felt this level of regret,” said Koji.
Taylor was not buoyed by his selection as Most Valuable Player, acknowledging the team’s poor performance.
“We are deeply disappointed with the result! I don’t have much to say — we played very poorly. The match was chaotic, and everyone knew it — players, coaches and fans,” he said.
“We played badly in the first half and conceded early goals. In the second half, we regained some confidence and energy, but the two red cards didn’t help us at all. Overall, our playing style was just not good,” added the Svay Rieng FC player.
Japanese coach Koji Gyotoku said he had ‘never felt this level of regret’ following a defeat. FFC
Koji also highlighted how the red carded players let the side down.
“They are not young or inexperienced players — they are adults. They acknowledged their mistakes, and I will speak with them further. Losing their composure had a big impact on the team,” he said.
Marvic Bermudez, the Aruba head coach, admitted that his team would have struggled more if Cambodia had lost two players. He noted that some of his players were fatigued and injured but believed Cambodia had underestimated Aruba.
“I think the Cambodian players were very frustrated. That’s why they lost control of their emotions and received red cards. They thought this would be an easy match,” he suggested.
He believed that Aruba’s victory was due to his team’s superior physical condition, adding that their defensive, counter-attacking strategy worked well against the home side.
