ASEAN SPORTS-FOOTBALL | ASEAN Championship | HÀ NỘI: Vietnamese trio makes ASEAN All-Stars against Man United in May
Nguyễn Hoàng Đức, Đỗ Duy Mạnh and Nguyễn Quang Hải (from right to left) will be Vietnamese players in the ASEAN All-Star team to play Manchester United on May 28 in Kuala Lumpur. — Photo of VFF
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HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese trio Nguyễn Hoàng Đức and Nguyễn Quang Hải and Đỗ Duy Mạnh are selected to make the ASEAN All-Stars team which will play Manchester United FC next month in Malaysia.
The Việt Nam Football Federation reported that these players named by the regional federation to take part in the May 28 event which is part of the Maybank Challenge Cup to raise fund for Al-Sultan Abdullah (YASA), a charity organisation in the home country. The match is also an activity of MU’s Asia Summer Tour in 2025.
According to AFF, the Vietnamese were chosen based on their outstanding form, professionalism, and impressive fighting spirit in recent competitions.
Midfielder Đức is a standout in midfield with his ability to control the game and creative passes. Midfielder Hải approves his class with technical skills and extensive international experience. Meanwhile, captain Mạnh shows his leadership role in defence, with solid and enthusiastic play.
Earlier, AFF appointed Kim Sang-sik, Việt Nam’s head coach, will take charge of the team playing at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium.
The full list which is picked from all 12 regional federations, reflecting the diversity and collective strength of Southeast Asian football, will be announced soon.
“This is more than just a football match – it is a celebration of leadership, regional pride, and unity through sport,” wrote AFF in its website.
Coach Kim’s leadership is built on integrity, discipline, and vision. After guiding Việt Nam to an undefeated campaign and championship title at the 2024 ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, his appointment to lead the ASEAN All-Stars Team is a clear reflection of his excellence and the deep trust he has earned across the footballing community.
“It’s an honour to lead the best players from across ASEAN in a match of this magnitude,” said Kim.
“We are not just representing our nations – we are showing the world the pride, spirit, and strength of our region.”
In what will be Manchester United’s first appearance in Malaysia in 16 years, the event is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans, bring together diverse cultures, and highlight the growing passion and progress of football in the ASEAN region. — VNS
ASEAN Championship
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| Organising body | AFF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Region | Southeast Asia |
| Number of teams | 10 (finals) 11 (eligible to enter qualification) |
| Qualifier for | AFF–EAFF Champions Trophy |
| Current champions |  Vietnam (3rd title) |
| Most successful team(s) |  Thailand (7 titles) |
| Website | aseanutdfc.com |
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| Tournaments |
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The ASEAN Championship (formerly known as the AFF Championship or the AFF Cup), currently known as the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the biennial football tournament organized by the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) for men’s national teams in Southeast Asia.
A biennial international competition, it is contested to determine the sub-continental champion of Southeast Asia. The competition has been held every two years since 1996, scheduled to be in the even-numbered year, except for 2007, and 2020.
Four national teams have won the ASEAN Championship title; Thailand has won seven titles, Singapore four, Vietnam three, and Malaysia one. To date, Thailand and Singapore are the only teams to have won consecutive titles. Thailand did it three times: in 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022, while Singapore did it once in 2004 and 2007. Australia, an AFF member since 2013, has not played the ASEAN Championship. It is one of the most watched football tournaments in the region. The ASEAN Championship has also been recognized as an official tournament by FIFA since 7 December 2024, having previously been recognized as a Category A tournament since 2016.[1][2][3]
Since 2018, the championship winners would compete in the following AFF–EAFF Champions Trophy, against the winner of the EAFF E-1 Football Championship (East Asia).
The defending tournament champions are Vietnam, after a 5–3 aggregate victory over Thailand in the 2024 ASEAN Championship final
History
The first ASEAN Championship took place in 1996 with the six founding members of the ASEAN Federation competing with four nations being invited that came in that region. The final saw Thailand becoming the first champions of ASEAN as they defeated Malaysia 1–0 in Singapore.[4] The top four nations automatically qualified through to the finals in the following edition. This meant the other six nations had to compete in qualifying for the remaining four spots. Myanmar, Singapore, Laos and Philippines all made it through to the main tournament. The tournament has been the only regional competition for national teams since men’s football at the SEA Games was for U23 in 2001. No country has ever won the AFF Championship title three times in a row. Singapore (2004 and 2007) and Thailand (2000 and 2002 and again in 2014 and 2016) have won twice in a row.
Although having joined the AFF on 27 August 2013, Australia, because of its superior level compared to Southeast Asia, has not played the ASEAN Championship as part of the initial agreement, though Australia has started searching for ways to enter the tournament in recent years due to growth of various Southeast Asian national teams, due to internal pressures, and due to Southeast Asian interests in seeing more competitive football to improve consistency.[5][6][7]
Organisation
Sports marketing, media, and event management firm, Sportfive (formerly Lagardère Sports) has been involved in the tournament since the inaugural edition in 1996.[citation needed]
Title sponsorship
It was founded as the Tiger Cup, after Singapore-based Asia Pacific Breweries brand Tiger Beer sponsored the competition from its inauguration in 1996, until the 2004 edition. After Asia Pacific Breweries withdrew as title sponsor, the competition was known simply as the AFF Championship for the 2007 edition. In 2008, Japanese auto company Suzuki bought the naming rights for the competition, and the competition was named the AFF Suzuki Cup until the 2020 edition.[8] On 23 May 2022, AFF announced a new title sponsorship deal with Japanese company Mitsubishi Electric and the competition was named the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup starting in the 2022 edition.[9]
On 29 February 2024, AFF and Mitsubishi Electric, who is the title partner of the championship, launched a new logo and brand identity for the event. As part of the rebranding, the region’s premier competition formerly known as the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup was also renamed to the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
| Period | Sponsor | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–2004 | Tiger Beer | Tiger Cup |
| 2007 | No title sponsor | AFF Championship |
| 2008–2020 | Suzuki | AFF Suzuki Cup |
| 2022 | Mitsubishi Electric | AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup |
| 2024– | ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup |
Format
Since 2004, the knockout stage has been played over two legs in a home-and-away format. Since the 2007 edition, there was no third-place match; semi-finalists are listed in alphabetical order. The away goals rule was applied for the knockout stage in 2010-2022 editions.[a]
Starting with the 2018 edition, a new format was applied. The nine highest-ranked teams qualified automatically while the 10th and 11th ranked teams played in a two-legged qualifier to determine the final team to qualify. The 10 teams were split into two groups of five and played a round-robin system, with each team playing two home and two away fixtures. A draw was made to determine where the teams play while the format of the knockout round remained unchanged.[10]
