Cambodian fans reacted collectively after a heavy 0-5 loss to Vietnam

Cambodian fans showed varied reactions after their team was defeated 0-5 by Vietnam’s U16 women’s squad in the 2025 Southeast Asian U16 Women’s tournament.

Vietnam’s U16 women’s team started strong at the 2025 Southeast Asian U16 Women’s Championship with a 5-0 win over Cambodia. This victory placed coach Okiyama Masahiko’s squad temporarily at the top of Group B, giving them significant advantages toward qualifying for the semifinals.

For Cambodian football overall, this marks another heavy defeat against Vietnamese teams, alongside losses to the national and U23 teams. Generally, Cambodian fans accept the loss to Vietnam’s U16 women due to the skill gap, but many express dissatisfaction with the recurring large-margin defeats.

A fan named Sa Vita commented: "Losing 1-2 times can be seen as gaining experience. But repeatedly losing by large margins like this, across men’s and women’s football, from youth to the national team, and especially by many goals — this is the first time I’ve felt so disappointed."

Meanwhile, another fan humorously remarked: "Losing 0-5 is normal now; we’ve even lost 0-12 before." This fan seemed to refer to the 0-12 defeat of Cambodia’s U16 women against South Korea’s U16 women in the opening match of the 2025 Lion City Cup friendly tournament.

Contrary to the critical opinions above, a Facebook user named Doug Mckenzie defended the team: "Everyone should congratulate these girls. Cambodia’s U16 women defended bravely, only trailing 0-2 until the 70th minute. Injuries to three key players and some fatigue errors caused them to concede more goals."

Similarly, fan Sam Sophear-kheang commented: "They tried their best. Vietnam’s U16 women played with full effort and are stronger than us. Let’s not blame each other anymore."

In Vietnam’s 5-0 victory over Cambodia’s U16 women, Minh Ánh was the standout player with a hat-trick. The number 10 also earned the match’s best player award. For Cambodia’s U16 women, if they hope to advance, they must perform strongly against Myanmar and aim for a decisive win.