The Vietnam national football team finds itself in a challenging group alongside Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos for the AFF Cup 2024. The draw, conducted by ASEAN Football Federation President Khiev Sameth, places Vietnam in Group B with some formidable opponents.
This group is considered the “group of death” given the FIFA rankings and recent performances of the teams involved. Indonesia, a familiar and challenging foe, has defeated Vietnam in their last three encounters under coach Philippe Troussier, with Vietnam failing to score and conceding five goals.
Group B’s opponents, including Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos, are all ranked higher than their counterparts in the other group. In contrast, Thailand, drawn into a relatively easier Group A, will face Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and the winner of the playoff between Brunei and Timor Leste.
Indonesia, despite reaching the finals six times, has never won the regional championship. However, under coach Shin Tae-yong, the team has shown significant improvement, bolstered by naturalized players from Europe. Indonesia is aiming for the AFF Cup 2024 title, with around 15 naturalized players strengthening their squad.
The Philippines, like Indonesia and Vietnam, are also in the same group for the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Coached by Tom Saintfiet, the Philippines is accelerating its player naturalization process, making them a formidable opponent in the quest to advance from the group stage.
The group stage of the AFF Cup 2024, rebranded as the ASEAN Cup, will take place from November 23 to December 21, featuring 10 teams. Brunei and Timor Leste will compete for the final spot in the group stage.
Vietnam will kick off their campaign against hosts Laos on November 24, followed by a home match against Indonesia on November 30. Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team will then travel to the Philippines on December 3 before hosting Myanmar on December 7 in the final group match.
The AFF’s seeding for the draw was based on performances in the last two tournaments. Thailand, having won the AFF Cup in 2020 and 2022, leads the first seed group. Vietnam, with one runner-up finish and one semi-final appearance, edged out Indonesia for the remaining top seed spot due to a better secondary ranking.
The 2024 edition will be the 15th AFF Cup since its inception in 1996. Vietnam has won the tournament twice, in 2008 and 2018. Thailand holds the most titles with seven, followed by Singapore with four, and Malaysia with one in 2010.
As the tournament approaches, fans eagerly anticipate the exciting and intense matches that will undoubtedly unfold in this year’s highly competitive AFF Cup.
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