Hok Sochivoan, head coach of Cambodia’s under-15 football team, has issued a public oplogy to the Kingdom’s football supporters, after his squad lost all five of their group-stage matches at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026.
The former Visakha coach expressed his regret at the poor showing, and accepted full responsibility for the team’s performance.
“As the coach of Cambodia’s national U15 team, and as the person responsible for this important historic mission, I sincerely apologise to the leadership and supporters across the country for our team’s disappointing results in all five group-stage matches,” he said.
He added that the team would work to improve its ability and performance in future competitions, while accepting criticism as part of the process.
“The whole team will work to strengthen our capabilities to achieve better results in upcoming matches. We accept constructive criticism in all forms so that we can make the team better. Everything is for Cambodian football,” he said.
The inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026 was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, and brought together players from 189 countries.
The competition was organised into 32 groups, with Cambodia drawn in Group C alongside England, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Matches were playing in an eight-a-side format on reduced size pitches, with substitutions permitted throughout each 20-minute half.
The use of smaller teams and playing areas was described as designed to “maximise player’s involvement, increased touches and decision-making opportunities”.
The team’s appearance at the first tournament of this scale began with a competitive 3-2 loss to Zimbabwe before going down 4-1 to Nicaragua.
The worst was yet to come when a rampant England side delivered a 10-0 drubbing. This was followed by a 3-0 defeat to Montenegro.
Their campaign came to an end with a 4-1 loss to Ireland on October 26.
The Cambodian Football Federation (FFC) and Daiichi Life provided financial support worth a combined $20,000 to send the team to the tournament.
The campaign was intended to give young players the opportunity to test themselves against strong international opposition, gain valuable experience and develop their abilities as potential successors to senior national players.
“This is a new step in developing and promoting national football, particularly youth training towards international standards with confidence and sustainability,” FFC secretary-general Keo Saret announced earlier, during an October 16 ceremony held to announce Daiichi Life’s sponsorship.