Strange but true story: Cambodia appointed 1 coach to lead the men's team, U.23 and... women's team at the same time

On the morning of August 1, the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) officially announced that coach Koji Gyotoku will take on the role of leading the national women's football team to participate in the Southeast Asian Women's Football Championship MSIG Serenity Cup™ 2025, taking place in Vietnam from August 6 to 19, 2025.

Coach Koji Gyotoku takes on 3 consecutive roles with Cambodian football

'3 in 1' coach

Photo: Nguyen Khang

Thus, the Japanese strategist is in charge of all three levels at the same time: the men's team, the women's team and U.23 Cambodia.

FFC's announcement this morning sparked controversy

PHOTO: FFC

Previously, Mr. Koji was assigned to coach the Cambodian men's team and just completed his mission with the Cambodian U.23 team at the Southeast Asian U.23 Championship held in July in Indonesia.

Earlier this year, FFC appointed him as full-time head coach for both the men's national team and the U.23 team, with the aim of preparing for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand and many other international tournaments.

Koji, 60, served as interim coach before signing a one-year contract with FFC. The Japanese tactician began his coaching career in 2004, leading famous J-League clubs such as Shimizu S-Pulse, FC Gifu and Omiya Ardija. He also had three years of experience as head coach of the Bhutan national team before joining FFC in 2019 to take charge of the Bati Youth Football Academy.

Coach Koji was appointed by FFC to lead the Cambodian football team earlier this year.

PHOTO: FFC

As a FIFA Pro Licensed Coach, Mr. Koji is highly regarded by experts in Cambodia, especially for his contributions to youth teams. In 2019, he helped Cambodia U19 qualify for the final round of the AFC U19 Championship – a historic achievement despite the tournament being cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In September 2024, he also took on the role of interim head coach at the Mitsubishi Electric ASEAN Cup, replacing Argentine coach Félix Dalmás.

The tournament in Vietnam brings together many strong women's football teams.

This year's MSIG Serenity Cup™ 2025 Southeast Asian Women's Football Championship brings together 8 national women's teams including: defending champions Philippines, Thailand (4-time champions), Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Timor Leste and host Vietnam (3-time champions). The teams are divided into 2 round-robin groups at 2 stadiums Viet Tri (Phu Tho) and Lach Tray ( Hai Phong ). Seeding is based on achievements in the 2022 and 2024 tournaments.

According to plan, the top two teams in each group will enter the semi-finals on August 16, while the third-place match and final will take place on August 19.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-la-co-that-campuchia-bo-nhiem-1-hlv-dan-dat-cung-luc-ca-doi-tuyen-nam-u23-va-nu-185250801132354529.htm