How does Cambodian Football work?
Whether you are passing through, or call Cambodia home then you might consider following, or even watching football here. So, how exactly does Cambodian football work and is it worth following?
Well much like anything this depends greatly on your own standards. If you come expecting Old Trafford, San Siro, or the Emirates, you will be disappointed, but if you enter with an open mind, you might just be surprised by the standard of play within the Kingdom.
The Cambodian Football Pyramid
There are currently essentially 3 titers to the Cambodian football pyramid, which since 2022 have consisted of the Cambodian Premier League, the Cambodian Second Divisions, and the Qualifying round of the Hun Sen Cup.
Technically at least teams move between the top two tiers, with there also being possibilities to come up from and indeed go down to the regional 3rd tier of football.
So, what are the differences between the 3 tiers?
The Cambodian Premier League
At the top of the pike sits the Cambodian Premier League which was formed in 2022 to take the place of the former 13 team Metfone C-League. Initially it had 8 teams in the top division and 12 in the second.
This year that has been changed to 10 in the top flight and 8 in the second following the bankruptcies of a number of clubs, which we iwll cover more ind depth later on.
Initially there were high hopes that the league would raise more money (link to CIR) and improve play, although how well it has done at this is very much open to debate.
Matches for the most part ar held in Phnom Penh, but with there also being clubs in Svay Rieng, Siem Reap, Takeo and Prey Veng.
And as for the standard of play? Generally very good, being comparable at the top end with League 1 in England and to League Tow towards the bottom.
For context Phnom Penh Crown are doing well this season in the AFC Cup, the second most prestigious tournament in Asia.
The Cambodian Second Division AKA CPL 2
Formed in 2022 to replace the old second-tier there were high hopes this expanded tournament of 12 clubs would be a success, which to a large extent it was.
Alas whilst the football was good the finances were not and 8 clubs ended up going bankrupt. The 2023-24 season now has 4 “real” clubs and 3 reserve teams, a bit like in Spain.
Games are held in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville which sadly puts a lot of financial pressure on clubs. Whether this league still exists in 2024-25 is yet to be seen, with clubs set to take over the CPL.
The standard of p-lay here is more like the 5th-7th tier of English football and is more a labour of love than a real day out.
The Hun Sen Cup regional qualifiers
Below CPL 2 is the qualifiers for the Hun Sen Cup the primary knockout competition in Cambodia. As such the first part of the year sees clubs split into regional leagues, from where the winners get to go forward and face the “big clubs” in the later rounds.
Predominately this is made up of provincial clubs that are not private, but there are the odd provinces represented by private clubs, who should they meet licensing requirements technically attain membership, rather than promotion to CPL 2.
Various plans have been mooted to normalise this pyramid, but as of now they have come to nothing.
Big provinces that participate in the Hun Sen Cup, but are not in the CPL include Battambang, as well as Kampot, which actually has a great stadium.
It is hard to put the standard here into context, but these are predominantly youth players as well as amateurs. I have personally watched a lot of Hun Sen Cup matches and have enjoyed some, but not all. It is though a great place to spot up and coming starlets.
So if you have ever wondered how does football in Cambodia work, then this is your answer! Of course the best way to really understand it though is to go and watch a match.
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Author: Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson is the founder of Young Pioneer Tours and has visited over 180+ countries. His passion is opening obscure destinations to tourism and sharing his experience of street food.
