Cambodia officially secures a spot in the AFF Cup semifinals

Cambodia's women's football team staged a comeback to beat Timor-Leste 3-1, booking their place in the semifinals of the 2026 AFF Women's Cup a round early.

The Cambodian women's national team becomes the next side to qualify for the semifinals of the 2026 AFF Women's Cup following their convincing 3-1 victory over Timor-Leste in the second match of Group B. Despite falling behind early, the representatives from the Angkor kingdom showed their mettle by staging a successful comeback, thereby achieving their goal of advancing with a match to spare.

The match started unfavorably for Cambodia as Timor-Leste surprisingly took the lead as early as the 2nd minute. The early concession forced the blue-shirted team to push forward in search of an equalizer. After a period of sustained pressure, Cambodia gradually regained control of the game and put immense pressure on the opponent's defense.

Cambodia's efforts were quickly rewarded in the first half. The Angkor kingdom side scored two goals in the 29th and 36th minutes to turn the tide before halftime. The consecutive goals not only relieved the pressure on Cambodia but also gave them a significant psychological advantage for the remaining half.

In the second half, Cambodia continued to control the game and gave Timor-Leste few opportunities to fight back. In the final minutes, the head coach's team added another goal to seal a 3-1 victory. This convincing comeback helped Cambodia extend their winning streak and affirmed their determination to compete for a spot in the 2027 AFF Women's Cup finals.

With 6 points after two matches, the Cambodian women's team temporarily leads Group B and has officially secured a semifinal berth with one round to spare. Along with Indonesia, Cambodia is one of the two teams that have guaranteed advancement, while Timor-Leste no longer has a chance to compete. In the final group stage match, Cambodia will face Indonesia to decide the group winner.

The 2026 AFF Women's Cup serves as a qualifying tournament for the 2027 AFF Women's Cup, with 6 teams divided into two groups. The three best-performing teams will earn a place in the 2027 finals. Meanwhile, five teams — Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Australia U23 women — have been given direct entry, making the competition in the qualifying round even more intense.