THE incumbent President of the Football Federation of Cambodia (FFC) General Sao Sokha, who is also First Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), was unanimously re-elected for another four-year term until 2022 at the FFC Congress held at the Phnom Penh Hotel yesterday morning.

Under his leadership, the Kingdom’s football ventured into the uncharted territory of the second round of World Cup 2018 qualification and the third round of Asian Cup qualifying for the first time. Cambodian soccer also received a major infrastructure boost with the creation of a state-of-the-art football centre in Bati, near Phnom Penh.

In a passionate address to the assembly, Sokha laid out his grand vision of the future, the central plank of which is the introduction of football schools in each of the country’s 25 provinces to give merited students a clear pathway to the top of the game.

Talented recruits for these schools will be provided with an education, and the best coaches and technical support will be provided to them so that they can hone their football skills at the same time.

Players with potential will then move into the Federation’s Academy, which will help Cambodia hone its young talent as the Kingdom aims to strengthen its national team and league outfits.

Proposing several innovative schemes to promote grassroots development and encouraging clubs to create their own infrastructure and strengthen the domestic league, the newly re-elected president also mooted the idea of forming a National Technical and Development Council.

The council is to be served by field experts who can bring their expertise and experience to bear in raising the country’s football standards.

Among the first to congratulate Sokha on his re-election as FFC President was the secretary-general of the NOCC, Vath Chamroeun, who said: “Under his strong leadership we have seen Cambodian football grow in popularity, and I am optimistic he will lead us to our goal of a football medal at the 2023 SEA Games we will be hosting.”