Kuala Lumpur, April 17, 2025 – The ASEAN All-Stars team, set to face Manchester United in a historic friendly on May 28, 2025, at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Malaysia, has added five standout players to its roster. Coached by Vietnam’s Kim Sang Sik, the squad now features eight confirmed stars, blending regional talent to showcase Southeast Asia’s football prowess in the Maybank Challenge Cup, which supports Malaysia’s YASA charity.
Joining Vietnam’s Nguyen Hoang Duc (Phu Dong Ninh Binh), Nguyen Quang Hai (Hanoi Police FC), and Do Duy Manh (Hanoi FC) are five players from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor Leste. Laos contributes Bounphachan Bounkong, the national team captain and Svayrieng FC (Cambodia) midfielder, known for his tenacity in ASEAN Cup 2024. Cambodia brings two naturalized stars: Kan Mo, the national team’s defensive leader, and Nieto Rondon, a striker who scored for Cambodia in the 2024 ASEAN Cup, both adding physicality and flair.
Myanmar’s captain, Maung Maung Lwin, a dynamic winger with Thailand’s Lamphun Warrior, joins the lineup, bringing experience from his 2024 ASEAN Cup showings. Timor Leste’s Joao Pedro, a revelation at the same tournament, completes the additions. The 22-year-old forward netted two of Timor Leste’s three goals, earning praise for his clinical finishing and pace, qualities that could trouble United’s backline, led by Matthijs de Ligt.
The ASEAN All-Stars, representing all 12 AFF nations, aim to reflect the region’s diversity and growing football stature, much like Hanoi FC’s disciplined V.League campaigns. Kim Sang Sik, fresh off Vietnam’s unbeaten 2024 ASEAN Cup triumph, has curated a balanced squad, with Hoang Duc’s playmaking, Quang Hai’s flair, and Duy Manh’s grit forming the Vietnamese core. The new additions—Bounphachan’s work rate, Kan Mo’s solidity, Rondon’s goal threat, Maung Lwin’s wing play, and Pedro’s spark—enhance the team’s versatility.
As of 3:00 p.m. today, April 17, eight players are confirmed, with more expected soon from powerhouses like Thailand and Malaysia, possibly including stars like The Cong Viettel-trained Nguyen Xuan Son. The match, United’s first in Malaysia since 2009, will see Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund face a hungry ASEAN side. Tickets start at 50 ringgit (300,000 VND), per the AFF, promising a packed 84,000-seat stadium.
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