What’s it like to watch football in Cambodia?
Whether you are passing through, or call Cambodia home then watching football of a weekend is one of the many options available to while away your time. So, what is it like to watch football in Cambodia and is it worth it?
Much like anything this will depend greatly on your outlook, as well as your expectations, although if you do enter with an open mind you might well find yourself a fan in no time.
How does Cambodian football work?
Regular readers will know we have already answered this question, but essentially you have the top-tier Cambodian Premier League, the Cambodian Second Division AKA CPL 2 and the provincial Hun Sen Cup.
Above this there is also watching the national team and the AFC Cup, with women’s football and even futsal also being a thing – although a thing for another time.
Watching the Cambodian National Team
The national team, who tend to struggle a lot play their matches at the National Olympic Stadium, a place full of history, rather than at the white elephant that is the Morodok.
Matches at things like the SEA Games can be exiting and the crowd are certainly passionate, but following the national team can be a labour of love.
Cheap tickets cost just a few dollars, while the good ones are roughly $5 a pop. Unless it is a huge game, you do not have to book tickets in advance.
Watching the AFC Cup in Cambodia
National champions Phnom Penh Crown have really upped the ante this year topping their group and going further than any other club from Cambodia has gone in the AFC Cup.
Due to AFC regulations these games are also played at the National Olympic Stadium, with good tickets costing $5. Quite honestly watching Phnom Penh Crown trounce Macarthur of Australia was perhaps the best match I have ever watched in Cambodia.
Essentially the best quality football you can hope to see within the Kingdom
Watching the Cambodian Premier League
Despite being the pinnacle of football within the Kingdom, standards, crowds, and stadia vary greatly within the division. If you go to watch a top end game like Phnom Penh Crown vs PKR Svay Rieng you will get top class players and maybe 3-4,000 fans.
With that being said watching Prey Veng take on Angkor Tiger is less entraining and will draw in hundreds rather than thousand of fans.
Tickets prices go from $5 to just a few dollars, with a. few clubs, such as ISI even having VIP boxes.
I regularly watch CPL games and whilst it is not the EPL, games are good, it is competence and the fans really give it an atmosphere, Again it is all about measuring expectations.
Watching football in Cambodia – CPL 2
Sadly due to my part ownership of Angkor City Football Club I watch more CPL 22 than CPL 1. In 2022 this was not as bad as there were 12 really good clubs, sadly in 2023-24 it is little more than a reserve, or development league.
The standard from CPL 1 to CPL 2 drops drastically, but that is not to say that it is awful to watch, and due to the reserve teams there are some good stadiums in the division.
Matches are at worst a few dollars to at best being free to watch in CPL 2.
Watching the regional Hun Sen Cup
Only for serious mentalist football fans, this is amateur developmental football, but also where the starlets the future hone their skills, as well as wannabe pro clubs cut their teeth.
And it is free and in every province, meaning literally anyone can watch football in Cambodia, at least to some degree.
And that is the overall skinny on the good, bad and very ugly own what it is like to watch football in Cambodia. And yes, you can buy many Cambodian football shirts!
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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.
