According to Cambodian press, Mat Noron suffered a right ankle injury in the match against Singapore. This striker then could not participate in the two matches against Indonesia and Timor Leste, and continued to be absent when Cambodia prepared for a trip to Hanoi.
Meanwhile, Abdel Kader Coulibaly and Sieng Chanthea are allowed to leave the national team because they are not in the best physical condition. Coach Koji Gyotoku did not keep this duo in the context that Cambodia has run out of opportunities to compete for a semi-final ticket.
The match against Vietnam on August 7 will be the closing of Cambodia's journey at ASEAN Cup 2026. This team is currently ranked 4th in Group A and no longer has the ability to improve their position enough to advance.
With the Vietnamese team, the nature of the match is completely different. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team has 7 points (goal difference +10) and needs more victories to finish the group stage in the leading position. Cambodia's lack of the above 3 players gives Vietnam an additional advantage in terms of force.
The current situation helps Vietnam take the initiative. If they defeat Cambodia, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will definitely win a ticket to the semi-finals with the top spot in the group. Even if they draw, Vietnam still has 8 points and cannot be overcome by Indonesia or Singapore.
The scenario of being eliminated is almost just theory when Vietnam has to lose to Cambodia with a very large gap, and Singapore loses to Indonesia.
