The Vietnamese team will not play in this match but will still follow the developments of Group A, as Indonesia and Singapore both aim to win all 3 points to continue to chase coach Kim Sang-sik's team in the race to win a ticket to the semi-finals.
Indonesia is the latest team to start in Group A and is considered superior against Cambodia. The archipelago team had a positive warm-up when they beat Bali United 3-0 in the most recent friendly match, while maintaining stable form with 4 wins in the last 5 matches.
Although not calling up a full squad of naturalized players playing in Europe such as Emil Audero, Jay Idzes, Justin Hubner, Kevin Diks or Ole Romeny, Indonesia still possesses many quality faces such as Thom Haye, Ivar Jenner, Ragnar Oratmangoen and Marselino Ferdinan.
Speaking before the tournament, coach John Herdman also admitted that the Indonesian force at the ASEAN Cup is different from the FIFA Days periods. At the same time, he said that he has been monitoring the preparation of the Vietnamese team to build a suitable plan for the journey in Group A.
Meanwhile, Cambodia entered the match with a lot of pressure after a 1-2 defeat to Singapore right at home. Coach Koji Gyotoku's team has had more naturalized players such as Yudai Ogawa, Iago Bento, Hikaru Mizuno or Abdel Kader Coulibaly, but the limitations in the defense system are still clearly revealed.
Letting Singapore successfully exploit the gaps behind the defense is a warning for Cambodia when the next opponent is Indonesia - a team with very good speed and ability to change state. If they do not improve their defensive organization, the Angkor representative will hardly avoid another defeat.
In the remaining match, Singapore has a great chance to win their second consecutive victory when hosting Timor Leste at Jalan Besar Stadium.
The island nation team had a favorable start with a 2-1 victory over Cambodia, although the performance was not really convincing. However, the positive result helped coach Gavin Lee's team gain more confidence before welcoming the opponent who just suffered a 0-7 defeat to the Vietnamese team.
Singapore still has many experienced players such as Hariss Harun, Jacob Mahler, Faris Ramli, Shawal Anuar or Ilhan Fandi. With superior squad quality and home advantage, they are likely to control the game and create great pressure on Timor Leste's defense.
In the opposite direction, Timor Leste showed a positive fighting spirit but still revealed a large gap in level after a heavy defeat to Vietnam. Uncertain defense and limited experience make it difficult for coach Zé Pedro's team to create a surprise.
If Indonesia and Singapore both win as predicted, Group A will soon form a competition between the top three candidates including Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. That is also the reason why the results on July 27 will directly affect the race for two tickets to the semi-finals of ASEAN Cup 2026.
