You would think that sport teams seek to field the strongest side possible, right? Well, not in Cambodia.
Cambodia has banned foreign players from taking part in the Hun Sen Cup (named after the country's long-serving prime minister) competition for being "too good." Rather than learning from these apparently more talented foreign players, the organizers of the Cup have decided that the best way for Cambodian football to improve is to incubate Cambodian players from a higher level of the game.
Sao Sokha, chairman of the Cambodian Football Federation, justified the decision by noting that "They're taller, stronger and more experienced, so it's unfair if we let them play...They're too good compared with Cambodian players."
The ruling means that mainly North Korean, Nigerian and Brazilian imports will have to sit it out until May before the new league season begins.
Cambodia has banned foreign players from taking part in the Hun Sen Cup (named after the country's long-serving prime minister) competition for being "too good." Rather than learning from these apparently more talented foreign players, the organizers of the Cup have decided that the best way for Cambodian football to improve is to incubate Cambodian players from a higher level of the game.
Sao Sokha, chairman of the Cambodian Football Federation, justified the decision by noting that "They're taller, stronger and more experienced, so it's unfair if we let them play...They're too good compared with Cambodian players."
The ruling means that mainly North Korean, Nigerian and Brazilian imports will have to sit it out until May before the new league season begins.
