Olympic encounter

The Cambodian national football team will get to stretch their legs on Tuesday 7 June at the Olympic Stadium with a midweek international friendly against the Malaysian Olympic team. As the game is in the middle of the Metfone C-League programme, with teams playing the previous and following weekend, it isn't ideal for the players and the clubs but then again, when is? The game is a one-off friendly for the Malaysians who have another Olympic qualifying match later in the month. They've already beaten Pakistan 2-0 in the preliminary round. The Olympics will take place in London in July 2012 where 16 men's teams will participate. The Malaysian team will be made up of Under-23 players though they can also play three over-age players in their line-up. Thirty-five teams entered the Asian qualifying section for the Olympics, but Cambodia wasn't one of them. However, the game is helpful to Cambodia who have their own FIFA World Cup 1st qualifying round games against Laos to be played in Phnom Penh on 29 June, and in Vientiane on 3 July. There's the carrot of meeting China in the next round as well, so the Cambodian team would do well to make good use of this Malaysian encounter.