Indonesia happy as Cambodia withdraws from SEA Games football

Ramadhan Sananta (L) celebrates a goal in the SEA Games 32 men's football final between Indonesia and Thailand on May 16, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Luong

Cambodia's exit left Group A with only Thailand and Timor-Leste. To avoid a complete redraw, organizers moved Singapore from Group C to Group A. This change left Group C with three teams: Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

For Indonesia, the number of group stage matches has been reduced from three to two.

"Of course, this is good for Indonesia because we only have to play Myanmar and the Philippines," Sumardji told Bolasport on Monday. "The players will have more time to train, perfect their tactics and improve their physical and mental health in Thailand."

Indonesia will have the latest start in the tournament, opening their campaign against the Philippines on Dec. 8, followed by a match against Myanmar four days later. The defending champions arrived in Thailand on Nov. 28, giving them roughly 10 days to get used to the weather in Chiang Mai before their opening game.

In addition to football, Cambodia also withdrew from eight other sports -- judo, karate, pencak silat, petanque, wushu, wrestling, sepak takraw and volleyball -- due to security concerns over border tensions with the host country Thailand.

They still participate in 12 sports -- swimming, athletics, e-sports, fencing, gymnastics, martial arts, kickboxing, taekwondo, horse riding, jet skiing, triathlon, and teqball.

While the schedule has eased, coach Indra Sjafri has been waiting for key foreign-based players to complete his squad.

Mauro Zijlstra and Dion Markx reportedly arrived in Thailand on Dec. 2. Ivar Jenner and star midfielder Marselino Ferdinan are expected to join the team on Dec. 3. The coaching staff expects all four to be fit for the first match against the Philippines.

Sumardji affirmed that Indonesia's goal remains to defend the gold medal they won in dramatic fashion at the SEA Games 32, where they defeated Thailand 5-2 in extra time.

Sumardji, 52, is a senior police officer. He entered football management in 2016 with Bhayangkara FC and became the leader of the Indonesia U22 team in 2019.

He became a central figure during the SEA Games 32 final in Phnom Penh in May 2023. During a brawl between the Indonesia and Thailand staff members after the game, Sumardji attempted to break off the scuffle but was pushed down and trampled in the chaos, suffering a bleeding lip.