Since taking charge of Thailand in December 2023, Coach Masatada Ishii has already made a significant impact, leading the team to the round of 16 at the 2023 Asian Cup. In the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March, Thailand managed a 1-1 draw against South Korea away, followed by a 0-3 defeat at home. Due to his focus on other opponents, the Japanese coach admitted he doesn’t have much information about the Vietnam national team.
This afternoon, Ishii attended the AFF Cup 2024 group stage draw in Hanoi. Speaking to the media afterwards, he refrained from commenting on Vietnam’s championship prospects but acknowledged that the early departure of Coach Philippe Troussier and the subsequent appointment of South Korean Coach Kim Sang-sik could have both positive and negative impacts on the team.
“I am a bit concerned about Vietnam’s new coach,” Ishii said. “I am not sure about his strategy, playing style, and tactics.”
Thailand has won the AFF Cup seven times, including victories over Vietnam in the last two tournaments. In 2020, Thailand defeated Vietnam 2-0 in the two-legged semifinals held in Singapore. In the 2022 final, Thailand drew 2-2 in the first leg at My Dinh Stadium before winning 1-0 at home in the second leg.
For the 2024 edition, Thailand and Vietnam are in different groups as top seeds. Thailand is in Group A, considered easier, alongside Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and the winner of the Brunei-Timor Leste playoff. Vietnam, on the other hand, faces a tougher Group B with Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Laos.
Coach Ishii praised Indonesia, coached by Shin Tae-yong. “Indonesia played well and achieved positive results at the U23 Asian Cup 2024. Indonesian football has improved significantly and will continue to rise. I think they will keep getting better.”
The AFF Cup 2024 will feature strategic battles among East Asian coaches, including Japan’s Masatada Ishii for Thailand and Tsutomu Ogura for Singapore. South Korea is represented by Kim Sang-sik (Vietnam), Shin Tae-yong (Indonesia), and Kim Pan-gon (Malaysia). However, Ishii emphasized that the nationality of the coaches is less important than their shared goal of advancing Southeast Asian football.
Born in 1967, Ishii has won the J-League 1 as both a player and a coach with Kashima Antlers in 1996 and 2016. In 2019, he moved to Thailand to coach Samut Prakan City, and in 2021, he led Buriram United to a historic treble, winning the Thai League, National Cup, and League Cup in consecutive seasons (2021-2022 and 2022-2023).
The AFF Cup 2024, now rebranded as the ASEAN Cup, will take place from November 23 to December 21. This is the tournament’s second name change, originally known as the Tiger Cup before becoming the AFF Cup.
The 2024 edition marks the 15th installment of the Southeast Asian championship since its inception in 1996, featuring four champions. Thailand holds the record with seven titles (1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022). Singapore follows with four titles (1998, 2004, 2007, and 2012). Vietnam has won twice (2008 and 2018), while Malaysia claimed the trophy in 2010. Indonesia has finished as runners-up six times without a championship win.
Leave a Reply