Vietnam in the same group as Malaysia at AFF Cup 2022
Thailand - Coach Park Hang-seo and his team will meet their fateful opponent Malaysia again in the AFF Cup group stage taking place later this year.
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In the draw ceremony on the afternoon of August 30 in Bangkok, Vietnam and Thailand were in the first seed group. The two teams' tickets were drawn last. Accordingly, Vietnam was in Group B with Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Laos. Thailand was in Group A, along with the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and the winner of the play-off match between Timor Leste and Brunei.
Group A is considered more difficult, with Indonesia in the third seed group and Cambodia in the fourth. Recently, Indonesian youth football has been heavily invested in heading to the 2022 U20 World Cup, which they will host. The team's playing style has also been somewhat shaped after nearly 3 years under the guidance of former South Korean coach Shin Tae-yong. Meanwhile, Cambodia, coached by Keisuke Honda, has often caused surprises in recent tournaments.
The highlight of Group B is the confrontation between Vietnam and Malaysia. This is the third consecutive time the two teams are in the same group at the AFF Cup. In 2016, Vietnam won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Nguyen Trong Hoang. Two years later, Coach Park and his team defeated Malaysia 2-0 in the group stage and then beat their opponents 3-2 on aggregate after two matches in the final. In 2021, Vietnam won 3-0 again, contributing to Malaysia's elimination.
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Quang Hai scored for Vietnam in the 3-0 win over Malaysia in the group stage of the AFF Cup 2021. Photo:Leo Shengwei
AFF Cup 2022 is scheduled to take place from December 23 to January 15, 2023.Southeast Asia has 11 countries, so to ensure an even number in the group stage, the two teams with the lowest results in recent times, Timor Leste and Brunei, will play a play-off.
As the Covid-19 pandemic has been brought under control, the AFF Cup 2022 will return to the old competition format. Accordingly, each team will play 4 group stage matches, including 2 away matches and 2 home matches according to the predetermined draw code. Vietnam will play 2 home matches against Malaysia, Myanmar and visit Laos and Singapore. Coach Park and his team will start on December 24, against Laos.
The AFF Cup is the biggest tournament in Southeast Asia, taking place every two years. Thailand are the defending champions, after defeating Indonesia in the 2021 final (the tournament was delayed a year from usual due to the Covid-19 pandemic). At today's draw, AFF Cup President Khiev Sameth said: "The AFF Cup has always been the jewel of regional football. The past two years have been difficult, but that has made us stronger and more united. The 2020 AFF Cup was a success. We hope this year will be the same."
After a period of association with Suzuki, this year the tournament will be associated with a new sponsor and named AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022.
