Cambodia coach: 'Players will play their best when facing Vietnam'

Cambodia has been eliminated, but strategist Lee Tae Hoon declared that his team will still give their all and play their best in the match against Vietnam tomorrow afternoon (November 26).

CoachLee Tae Hoon breathed new life into the Cambodian team, playing more effectively and systematically. Photo: Duc Dong

“We need to prepare the best skills and the most passionate spirit for the match with Vietnam. The team no longer has a chance to advance, but the players must play because of their responsibility to the country,” coach Lee Tae Hoon shared.

Under the guidance of the Korean strategist, Cambodia has made remarkable progress. The team surpassed Laos, Brunei and East Timor in the 2016 AFF Cup qualifiers.

In the group stage, in the opening match, Cambodia caused a surprise when they took the lead twice against the reigning runner-up Malaysia. However, a lack of concentration at the end of the match caused them to accept a 2-3 defeat.

ChOn November 23, Cambodia continued to be the team that opened the score when facing host Myanmar. But once again, coach Lee Tae Hoon's team could not maintain the result, losing 1-3, becoming the first team to be eliminated at the AFF Cup 2016.

“It’s disappointing to lose again like this. In the first half, we played well and controlled the ball well. But then the young players made a mistake in the penalty area. I told them to mark people, but they forgot about it. That mistake cost the team. We were eliminated, but we still have the pride of the team and the nation. The whole team will regain their spirit to play their best against Vietnam and try to get a good result," said coach Lee Tae Hoon.

The Korean strategist said Cambodia's early elimination was expected because opponents Vietnam, Malaysia and Myanmar were all superior. His team came to the tournament with the goal of gaining experience for the young players.

According to VNE