If you watch football in Cambodia then you should watch the national team at some point. How easy is it though, where is it and what is it like to watch the Cambodian national team.
Here’s The Street Food Guy’s guide
Watching football in Cambodia
I am a strong proponent of watching the beautiful game within the Kingdom, but usually as is normal that refers to club football – for this you can read my guide here.
This is generally cheap, of a decent standard and rewarding to watch, with some clubs even having street food!
You can read about the stadiums of Cambodia here.
Watching the national team though is obviously a little different and has some nuances to it.
Where do the national team play?
There’s actually two national stadiums in Cambodia, the borderline white elephant that is the Morodok, as well as the National Olympic Stadium.
The former is far too big, but the later is in town, has a great atmosphere and a real footballing history. In fact not did it host GANEFO, but also North Korea when they qualified for the 1966 World Cup.
The former hosted the AFF Under 23 Championship, whilst the later hosted the SEA Games – the later beat the former.
Check out VDO on TikTok.
What was football at the SEA Games like?
It was bloody brilliant, with Cambodia selling out 0on each match and the patriots fans being the real heroes. Sadly Honda and his team were not despite the best efforts of Timor-Leste and Mouzinho.
Matches for the SEA Games were free, which is no longer the case, but they are still very cheap, particularly compared to Europe..
How to watch the Cambodian National Team – Cambodia vs Hong Kong
The last match that I watched saw Cambodia take on Hong Kong at home, under the leadership of Coach Felix, who I have had the joy of interviewing. The match ended 1-1, but was a lot more exciting that it sounds!
Check out VDO on TikTok.
Tickets we actually got for free through WonderPass, but even when you pay of the top seats they are in the low dollars. I am sure there are even boxes, but that has never came about for me.
Atmosphere wise it was mazing when you consider it was a friendly and Cambodian football fans are force to be reckoned with.
Food and drink when you watch the Cambodian national team
The National Olympic Stadium is centrally loaded and next to some malls which have burger joints. There is also a plethora of Khmer street food outside, as well as drinks and the like.
What often also happens now is that the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) also make an event of things and there is even a street find market outside.
Vendors are also now allowed in the stadium at designated areas, as well as beer being sold, with everyone knowing that beer and football go together like peas and carrots. Thankfully there is not much of a hooligan problem here within the Kingdom of happiness.
And then when it is all over you can take a Grab Taxi home, very civilized and proof that having a central stadium will help greatly with putting bums on seats at stadiums.
And that is The Street Food Guy guide to what it is like to watch the Cambodian national team – overall a very very rewarding and fun experience to have.
