Ho Chi Minh City welcomed the AFF Suzuki Cup Trophy Tour into town today with just 10 days to go before the region’s premier football tournament kicks off.
The trophy sat proudly on display at VivoCity and was attended by one of Vietnam’s star players Le Cong Vinh, their coach Lu Dinh Tuan and Tran Anh Tu from the Vietnam Football Federation along with other VIPs, officials and sponsors.
Vietnam won the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2008 and were runners up 1998 and the country is eagerly anticipating this year’s tournament.
This year they have been paired in Group B with Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia.
The trophy has already stopped in Yangon and Jakarta and will complete the final leg of its tour when it heads to Manila on November 12.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the AFF Suzuki Cup and for the first time Myanmar are hosting one of the Groups along with the Philippines, who are also debuting as Group hosts.
Defending champions Thailand play Indonesia in the opening game of the AFF Suzuki Cup in Group A in the Philippines. Later in the day the Philippines are pitted against Singapore.
The following day the Group B matches kick off in Yangon with 2010 champions Malaysia facing Cambodia before Myanmar battle it out against Vietnam.
“The AFF Suzuki Cup stirs the emotions of football fans across the region and we are therefore expecting a strong turnout of support when we take the Trophy on the road,” said Lt Gen Dato’ Sri Azzuddin Ahmad, General Secretary, ASEAN Football Federation.
“Everyone is eagerly awaiting the start of the AFF Suzuki Cup and so the Trophy Tour will whet the appetite of fans in Southeast Asia for what promises to be one of the finest editions of the tournament.”
The AFF Suzuki Cup Group stages will be played from November 19 to 26 in Myanmar and the Philippines, followed by the semi-finals and the final from December 3 to 17 which will be contested on a home and away basis.
With Myanmar and the Philippines newcomers to hosting the Group Stage tournament, the Thuwanna Stadium in Yangon and the Philippine Sports Stadium, will be staging their first games in the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016. Both venues have previously held international matches.
Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw and the Rizal Memorial Stadium in the heart of Manila, which has played host to AFF Suzuki Cup semi-final matches in 2012 and 2014, will each host one simultaneous match in the group stages.
