SEA Games 33 changed venues; Polking vs. Beijing Guoan

Floods in southern Thailand have forced major adjustments to the 33rd SEA Games: 10 events originally scheduled to be held in Songkhla have been moved to Bangkok. The Vietnam U22 team faces the possibility of a schedule change. At the club level, coach Alexandre Polking aims for a sharper approach against Beijing Guoan in the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26, while both opponents and Nam Dinh have stated they have thoroughly studied their rivals.

SEA Games 33 changed venue due to flooding.

An emergency meeting of the SEA Games 33 Organizing Committee approved the decision to move all 10 sports events from Songkhla to Bangkok, due to the prolonged impact of heavy rains and flooding in southern Thailand.

Bangkok will host the following sports: boxing, pencak silat, men's football, chess, judo, kabaddi, karate, wrestling, petanque, and wushu. This adjustment aims to ensure suitable playing conditions, although the Tinsulanon Stadium in Songkhla has not been directly affected.

• Boxing
• Pencak Silat
• Men's football
• Chess
• Judo
• Kabaddi
• Karate
• Wrestling
• Steel ball
• Lucia Shu

Vietnam U22 team may have to change their schedule.

The change of venue has disrupted the plans of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. The Vietnam U22 team, scheduled to play Group B in Songkhla, may have to adjust their schedule to accommodate the new arrangement. This presents a challenge regarding time constraints, travel, and adapting to the playing surface, even though the move aims to optimize playing conditions.

Seat number 1 in the U22 Vietnam team's wooden frame.

Despite Cao Van Binh's impressive performance at the Panda Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik seems to prioritize Tran Trung Kien's experience for the SEA Games 33 campaign. Making an early decision on the goalkeeper position will help stabilize the defense system given the potential changes to the tournament schedule.

CAHN vs Beijing Guoan: A test of Polking's effectiveness.

Ahead of the fifth matchday of Group E in the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26, coach Alexandre Polking emphasized the need to convert opportunities into goals when facing Beijing Guoan.

He said: "In the first leg, we created many opportunities but unfortunately missed them. In this match, the whole team will try their best to score as many goals as possible. Of course, things won't be easy because Beijing Guoan has a very solid defense. They may change their personnel compared to before, so we have to prepare many countermeasures."

The message is clear: CAHN needs composure in finishing and flexibility in their approach against a disciplined defensive opponent. Polking's challenge is to balance the tempo of attack with risk management in transitional phases.

Opponents "read" CAHN's strategy.

On the Beijing Guoan side, coach Ramiro Amarelle affirmed that he had thoroughly studied CAHN and aimed to win all three points in the rematch at Hang Day Stadium on the evening of November 27th. He shared: "Regarding CAHN, we understand their level with good players in their squad. We also understand their attacking style. I really like CAHN's playing style and we will try to win three points to advance to the next round."

Nam Dinh aims for a victory to advance to the next round.

Ahead of the fifth matchday of the AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 group stage, coach Mauro Jeronimo stated that Nam Dinh had thoroughly studied their Thai opponents and were aiming for three points.

He emphasized: “This is, of course, an important match for our team. The team is working hard to qualify for the next round after tomorrow's match, and we aim for a win. In football, no match is easy, but the team's preparation has gone smoothly, and the players are also in a confident state of mind to achieve a good result.”

Malaysia investigates naturalization process at FIFA's request.

After rejecting FAM's appeal in early November, FIFA requested a criminal investigation in five countries, the home countries of the seven players involved in the naturalization scandal. Three individuals were specifically named for initial investigation into their responsibilities: FAM Secretary General Noor Azman Rahman and two FIFA-licensed representatives, Nicolas Puppo and Frederico Moraes.

This move could have a significant impact on the governance and personnel of Malaysian football in the short term, and could set a precedent for tightening legal procedures in regional federations.