The Cambodian women’s team won their first match against Laos on Wednesday night at Phnom Penh’s Smart RSN Stadium.
The 2-0 win over Laos earned the Cambodian women's U-22 football team three points in Group B, with the first goal scored by Yon Yeourn in the 11th minute, by chipping the ball from outside the penalty box over the Laotian goalkeeper’s head.
Hok Saody had a chance to score for Cambodia, but she was denied by a strong challenge from a Laos defender. Laos then tried to press Cambodia back, but the Cambodian defence was solid, and goalkeeper Chen Soveat made some good saves.
In the 37th minute, Laos was awarded a free kick. However, the ball was not hit hard enough, and Cambodia was able to clear it. Yeourn then picked up the ball and dribbled past several Laos' defenders before slotting it past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 for Cambodia. The goal sent Cambodian fans into a frenzy, and they celebrated wildly.
Both teams continued to press each other in the second half, but Laos could not find the back of the net. The win was a major boost for Cambodia, and it will give them a lot of confidence as they prepare for their next matches against bigger teams, including Thailand and Singapore.
Gold medalist Thailand now tops Group B after winning 4-0 against Singapore on Wednesday.
Ahead of the match between Cambodia and Laos, the Laotian coach, Mohammad Herman B Zailani, said that the Cambodian team should win because they have spent a long time training in China, unlike his team.
“If Cambodia loses to Laos in this match, Cambodia's six-month long training in China will definitely be a problem,” he said at a press conference.
