KUALA LUMPUR – Harimau Malaya will face an uphill battle to reach the semi-final stage of the 2024 Asean Football Federation (AFF) Cup after being placed together with defending champions Thailand during the draw ceremony held at Hanoi, Vietnam today.
Malaysia and Thailand are in Group A, along with four-time champions Singapore, Cambodia, and the winner of the qualifying round between Brunei and Timor-Leste.
Meanwhile, 2022 AFF Cup runners-up Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos are in Group B.
“We will face Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia and the winning team from the qualification round. We will try to get our main power to build (the) best team to fight in this cup,” he said in a video shared by the Football Association of Malaysia today.
He also added that he would ensure the squad would have a strong lineup for the cup.
Defending champions Thailand, currently ranked 101st in the world, have been consistent in their performance lately. This will make it tough for Harimau Malaya to top Group A – especially with the likely absence of key players from Johor Darul Ta’zim and Selangor FC, whose clubs will be playing in the Elite Asian Football Confederation Champions League scheduled from November 25 to December 5.
The 2024 AFF Cup will be held at nearly the same time, from November 23 to December 21. – May 21, 2024