AFF Cup 2018: Familiar underdogs
(Baonghean.vn) - Timor-Leste was a Portuguese colony for hundreds of years. This land was also part of Indonesia, before separating in 2002. The Timor-Leste team joined the international arena in 2003 and they only played the role of underdogs.
Football in the “Southeast Asian lowlands” always contains many surprises, interesting and unique things. Timor-Leste football is the same, in the context of the away-home rule according to AFF regulations.
4 away games
This year's tournament has 10 participating teams, divided into 2 groups and there will be no host country in the group stage. In the group stage, each team will play 4 matches, including 2 home matches and 2 away matches according to the AFF draw.
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| Most of the Timor Leste national team players are playing for lesser-known clubs in Malaysia, Palestine, and Cambodia. Photo: Internet |
However, the Timor-Leste team had to suffer because they could not play at home because the Dili Municipal Stadium in the capital of Timor Leste could not meet the requirements of the AFF Cup Organizing Committee and the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) regarding the grass surface and lighting system.
Winning 3-2 against Brunei, Timor Leste is the last team to qualify for the group stage of the AFF Cup 2018. According to the previous draw results, Timor Leste is in Group B with opponents Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.
In the opening match, this team will meet defending champion Thailand (November 9), then Indonesia (November 13), Philippines (November 17) and finally Singapore (November 21).
Accordingly, Timor Leste will play against Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium (Thailand). This means that the Golden Temple team will have 3 home matches at AFF this year. Meanwhile, the match against the Philippines in the 3rd round will take place at Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Malaysia on November 17. Previously, Kuala Lumpur Stadium was also chosen by Timor Leste to play in the preliminary round against Brunei.
No chance
Most of the Timor Leste players are playing for lesser-known clubs in Malaysia, Palestine, and Cambodia. For example, 24-year-old goalkeeper Ramos Maxanches is playing for DIT Club (Cambodia), 27-year-old midfielder Diogo Rangel is playing for Songkhla United Club (Malaysia), 33-year-old striker Quito is playing for Carsae (Palestine), and domestic midfielders such as Anggisum, Ebi, etc.
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| This is the first time East Timor has qualified for the AFF Cup finals. Photo: Internet |
This underdeveloped national football team has just been investigated by the AFC and FIFA, which have imposed heavy fines on players for falsifying documents. Timor-Leste used fake documents to bring 12 players born in Brazil into the national team (under the condition that one parent was born in Timor-Leste).
Nine of these players have played 29 matches in AFC competitions for Timor-Leste, including seven matches under FIFA jurisdiction. In 2016, the AFC banned Timor-Leste from participating in the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers, and the general secretary of the Timor-Leste Football Federation, Amandio de Araujo Sarmento, was also banned from football for three years.
This is the first time East Timor has qualified for the AFF Cup finals. The Tiger Cup 14 years ago, the previous version of the AFF Cup, was the last time East Timor participated in this Southeast Asian regional championship. But it is clear that the team from this country of more than 1 million people does not have much chance of advancing to the next round.
