Cambodia: Legendary Keo retires - 60 national team matches

With the retirement of Sokpheng Keo, a recent Cambodian legend is stepping down from the football stage. The 31-year-old was recently struggling with chronic injuries and only made four appearances in 2023. Keo has been a important figure for the national team in recent years and has played a key role in the strong development of the Southeast Asian underdog. Despite his late debut at the age of 23, he is the third-highest goalscorer and fourth-most capped player in the association's 67-year old history. In seven years, Keo has scored 15 goals in 60 international matches.

Born into a Chinese-Vietnamese family in the province of Kratié in east Cambodia, Keo lived in Vietnam until he was fourteen. His role model was Cong Vinh Le, the Vietnamese national team's record goalscorer of all-time. Together with his younger brother Sokngon Keo, also a national team player for Cambodia, he spent the early years of his career at Boeung Ket and Phnom Penh and won the league twice.

After a short stint in Malaysia, Keo spent the rest of his career with reigning Cambodian cup winners Visakha FC, who have enjoyed an incredible rise since winning the second division title in 2017, thanks in part to captain Keo, and are now one of the country's top teams. Increasingly used as a winger, Keo made a total of 76 appearances for the “Blue Horses” in the past three years and contributed 39 goals and twelve assists. Keo has won the local cup three times in the past three years and the top scorer's title in 2021. In 2022 he took part in the AFC Cup with Visakha FC.