Phnom Penh: Cambodia head coach Felix G. Dalmas and his Pakistan counterpart José Antonio Nogueira are both counting on passion to drive their teams through when they face off in the first leg of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round One on Thursday.
Both head coaches promised their players will deliver their best at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.
“The most important thing for us is the group of players. So, for us, the most important thing is for the players to have the passion and the will to play for the team. All the players who are here want to be part of this team and they want to represent this country,” said Dalmas.
“Our team is built with players with different qualities. They can’t all have the same qualities because teams need a balance. And that’s why our selection reflects that.
“The players will do their best tomorrow. I am confident that our players will do their best for Cambodia,” added Dalmas.
Nogueira said he expects Pakistan to put behind a difficult buildup and deliver against Cambodia.
“I think tomorrow’s match will be very interesting. With preparation it was a bit difficult because of the short period but we had some good training sessions and have prepared very well for Cambodia. [They] are a dangerous team,” said Nogueira.
“There were one or two players who did not travel because they were not ready but most of our starting members are all here with the team so no problems there. We need to acclimatise because it is very humid and hot but this is all part of the game. It’s not a problem so let’s go. Let’s go to play.”
Cambodia v Pakistan
National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Kick-off: June 6, 18:30 (UTC +7)
Photos: Football Federation Cambodia
Source: the-afc.com