According to information from the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC), Colombian striker Neto Rondon will not be able to play for the ASEAN All-Stars against Man United on May 28 due to a one-match ban due to a red card in the most recent friendly match of the Cambodian team.
The decision was applied immediately by FIFA for the friendly match with Man United, despite the fact that ASEAN All-Stars is only a temporary gathering squad for this friendly event.
It is worth mentioning that the matches of the ASEAN All-Stars are not part of the official competition system, which surprised many fans and experts with the somewhat strict decision from FIFA.
However, according to current disciplinary regulations, penalties from red cards in international friendly matches can still be applied in the next friendly matches.
In that situation, coach Kim Sang-sik quickly came up with a replacement plan by calling up striker Abdel Coulibaly.
This Ivorian player born in 1994 left his mark when scoring against both Malaysia and Thailand in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. However, Coulibaly's brilliance was not enough to help Cambodia go far when they only won 4 points and were eliminated from the group stage.
The uncompromising absence of Neto Rondon is regrettable, but Coulibaly's presence is expected to create a new wind for the ASEAN All-Stars attack in the match against the "Red Devils" of Manchester.
