The AFF Suzuki Cup, Southeast Asia's Football Championship, kicks off this Thursday. Cambodia hosts Malaysia at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh. This is the first major tournament for the coach, Japanese star Keisuke Honda, who could already etch his name in the record books. The country has never reached the semi-finals of the competition.

David versus Goliath. Keisuke Honda in the role of the slingshot. It won't be easy for Cambodian players this Thursday. They welcome Malaysia at the opening of the 12th edition of the AFF Suzuki Cup (formerly Tiger Cup), essentially the ASEAN Cup. The two teams have met 27 times in their history, and the record is slim for the kingdom.

Honda, a game changer

Four victories, three draws, and 20 losses on the board. Cambodia's last victory dates back to 1973, in Seoul. But the kingdom has a trump card this year. Coach Keisuke Honda. Never in its history has Cambodia had a coach of such caliber. "He will bring rigor to the work and to the dressing room. He and his staff are very meticulous about details, so it's new for us. He lets us benefit from his experience as a footballer at the international level," explained Thierry Chantha Bin, the team's striker, when Honda took on the coaching role. At 32, Keisuke Honda has played 528 professional matches. He has just ended his international career following Japan's elimination in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Russia, against Belgium. The left-footer has 37 goals in 98 caps and is the only Asian player to have scored and provided an assist in three consecutive World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018). During his presentation as Cambodia's coach in August, Cambodian Football Federation president Sao Sokha emphasized the importance of the AFF Suzuki Cup for the country. A stated objective.

A difficult group, but winnable

Cambodia has indeed never advanced past the first round of the AFF Suzuki Cup in 11 editions. The top two teams from each qualifying group meet in the semi-finals in early December, before a home-and-away final on December 11 and 15. The Royals will face Malaysia in Group A this Thursday, November 8, travel to Myanmar on Monday, November 11, host Laos on November 20, and visit Vietnam to close this group phase on November 24.

Group A: Cambodia - AFF Suzuki Cup

To reach the semi-finals, Cambodia will have to pull off an upset against the two heavyweights of the group, Malaysia and Vietnam. The latter, the neighbor, the ancient rival, has had a brief football history since reunification. Brief, and one-sided against Cambodia. Eight matches, eight victories for the Vietnamese. The current 103rd-ranked FIFA nation has already won the AFF Suzuki Cup once, as has Malaysia. Group A has two gold medals in total thanks to these two nations. In terms of track record, Cambodia can hope for a favorable draw. Nothing like Group B where Thailand and Singapore share nine titles between them. A place among the top two would be historic for Cambodia. The festivities kick off Thursday at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, against Malaysia. In 27 meetings, this will only be the second held in Cambodia, and in this 70,000-seat venue, why not replicate the feat of the first time. A Khmer victory 3-2 on April 24, 1956.