Difficulties of 10 teams competing at AFF Cup 2018

Vietnam team. Photo: Internet

Vietnam

The fact that defender Vu Van Thanh cannot participate in the AFF Cup, as well as the Asian Cup early next year due to injury, is a big loss for the Vietnamese team. Van Thanh is a versatile player, playing well as both a full-back and a winger on both sides as well as being ready to move inside when needed. Van Thanh has now gone to Korea for surgery and recovery. His absence is a big loss for the Vietnamese team.

Malaysia

In recent years, the Malaysian National Championship has witnessed the absolute dominance of Johor Darul Ta'zim FC (JDT). This has caused many people to overlook the mark of coach Tan Cheng Hoe with Kedah. This 50-year-old coach will bring the approach from the club to the Malaysian national team. If successfully applied, Malaysia promises to be a formidable team at this AFF Cup.

Myanmar

Myanmar is the only country among the 10 participating countries in the AFF Cup to hold group stage matches in two different cities, Yangon and Mandolay. This makes the players have to travel more. How the Myanmar team handles the problem of changing match venues will be the question that decides the results of the AFF Cup 2018.

Cambodia

The question for Cambodia is more difficult than Myanmar: who will be the head coach at this AFF Cup? The decision to appoint Keisuke Honda has brought more trouble than expected. The Japanese player is still playing in Australia, 7,000 kilometers away from Cambodia. Honda will most likely only appear on the coaching bench between November 12 and 20, the time for national teams in 2018 according to FIFA.

This means that Cambodia will need another name to take charge of the coaching bench in the opening and final matches of the AFF Cup group stage. This abnormality has significantly affected the preparation process of this country's national team.

Laos

Like Cambodia, Laos has just appointed a new coach, V Sundram Moorthy, just three weeks before the first match of the AFF Cup against Vietnam. The former Singapore coach is racing against time to get acquainted with the new players. The current Laos squad consists of many young players, and that is a big challenge.

Thailand

The Thai team in this AFF Cup did not bring the best faces. Chanathip Songkrasin, the most expensive player in Thai football, and Teerasil Dangda, the top scorer of the previous AFF Cup, were absent. In addition, Teerathon Bunmathan and goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan were also not selected in the list. The absence of these four names at the same time promises to be a big challenge for the Thais in their efforts to defend the AFF Cup championship two years ago.

Indonesia

The return of Indonesia’s AFF Cup matches to the Gelora Bung Karno for the first time since 2010 is a welcome sign. On the other hand, the tragic deaths of fans in the domestic tournament send a warning signal to fans who love the Indonesian team. They need to behave better if they do not want the team to be punished.

Philippines

The AFF Cup does not fall entirely within FIFA’s national team window. This is a huge disadvantage for the Philippines, as goalkeeper Neil Etheridge is unlikely to be present throughout the 2018 AFF Cup. However, it is not all doom and gloom, as Etheridge will still be available for some of the group stage matches, which is a source of optimism for the Philippines.

Singapore

While the Philippines started their Middle East campaign with a friendly against Oman, Thailand played a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago, Singapore picked weak opponents like Mauritius, Fiji and Mongolia in their preparations for the AFF Cup. The effectiveness of their preparations will be tested in the first two group stage matches against Indonesia and the Philippines.

Timor Leste

In their second appearance at the AFF Cup, Timor Leste were unable to use their home ground in Dili due to lighting problems. The team was forced to play their home games in Bangkok, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This could be a significant disadvantage for Timor Leste.