On May 19, Cambodia sent it first-ever women’s national football team to play a friendly match against Lao in Lao territory.
Mr. May Tola, deputy general secretary of Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC), said it was the first international match for the young Cambodian women footballers. Moreover, it was the first step of the Cambodian women’s national football team to appear in the international class.
“We have chosen 22 good players from many organizations and schools in Cambodia , that want to join, to form a team and go to play a friendly match against Lao on May 21,” said Tola. “Before we go, we have spent one week for all the 22 players to train together in Phnom Penh. However, we did not get a good result, that Cambodia lost to Lao 1-2,” he added.
“Although we lost, but we still happy and proud of all the young footballers, because it was the first match of the new Cambodian women’s national team to play internationally while Lao women’s national football team have so many matches already,” said May Tola.
“All the young footballers played very good in the match, though they spent only one week to train together before the match,” said Mr Diego Sam, the coach of the new women’s national football team.
Sam said it was not hard for him to train those players, since they have good skills already. Most of them have played many matches within their organizations or schools; therefore, we can spend this little time to train together.
“I am very happy and proud of myself when I kick the ball into the goal,” said Sok Sipha, a 15 year-old national footballer. Sipha was a footballer of SOS Battambang team. Because she played really good, she was chosen by Sam to be a national player.
Sipha said that, although her team lost, but she thought all the players play very good in the match. “I believe that Cambodia will have a strong women’s national team in the future,” Sipha said happily.
This first match for Cambodia women’s national football team was sponsored and created by Federation International Football Association (FIFA) and FFC. “Although Cambodia lost, but FIFA still happy with this result and believe that Cambodia will improve quickly,” said Tola.
“We do not have any new plans for the national team yet, but the only thing we are going to do now is to built-up the players skills, and I hope the women’s national football team will get a better result in the next international match,” said May Tola.
