Defending champions Thailand kick off the defence of their ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ title on December 8 when Masatada Ishii’s side travel to Vietnam to take on Timor-Leste in their opening game in Group A of the 2024 championship.
The Thais go into the competition looking to extend their record of seven successes having won the trophy in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2022, and the War Elephants’ journey through the group phase also sees them face Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia.
Former Kashima Antlers coach Ishii will be leading Thailand into the competition for the first time since replacing Mano Polking at the helm of the team, the Brazilian having guided the nation to the 2022 title with victory over Vietnam in the final.
Ishii has selected a squad led by Consadole Sapporo midfielder Supachok Sarachat and his brother, Buriram United FC forward Suphanat Muenata, as well as veteran defender Pansa Hemviboon.
Seven of the 26 selected featured in the squad that lifted the trophy two years ago although, with 15 of his players capped 10 times or less, it is a selection that has one eye on the future.
The Thais begin their quest for an eighth title against a Timor-Leste side that booked their nation’s berth in the group phase via the playoffs with a 1-0 victory over Brunei. That has earned the nation a fourth appearance in the group phase.
Malaysia, meanwhile, begin their challenge in Phnom Penh against Cambodia with coach Pau Marti attempting to lead the Harimau Malaya to the title for the first time since their one and only success to date in 2010.
Singapore will have a bye in the opening round of fixtures before entertaining the Cambodians on December 11 as the four-times champions launch their challenge for their first title since 2012.
Japan’s Tsutomo Ogura replaced compatriot Takayuki Nishigaya as the Lions’ head coach earlier this year and will be attempting to take the nation into the knockout rounds after the Singaporeans missed out on the semi-finals in 2022.
Matches in Group A of the Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 run until December 21, with the top two finishers in the five-team standings advancing to the semi-finals, which will be played over two legs on a home-and-away basis.
The first leg of the last four encounters will be played on December 26 and 27 with the return clashes on December 29 and 30. The final will also be played home-and-away on January 2 and 5.
For more information about the Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024, please visit https://aseanutdfc.com/ and @aseanutdfc on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X.
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