Jakarta, Sep 10 (IANS): The inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup will kick off on September 24, with Bangladesh taking on Malaysia and hosts Indonesia facing Singapore on the opening day of the premier division of the new international tournament, FIFA announced on Thursday.
The competition will run until October 5 and will feature 14 national teams across two divisions, with Indonesia hosting Division 1 and Hong Kong, China, staging Division 2.
The opening day’s Division 1 fixtures will see Bangladesh face Malaysia at 4 pm, followed by Indonesia taking on Singapore at 8 pm at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.
Division 2 will begin on September 24, with Brunei Darussalam taking on Laos and Myanmar taking on Timor-Leste in the evening.
In Division 1, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Singapore have been placed in Group A, while Group B comprises Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines.
Division 2 has Hong Kong, China, Laos, Brunei Darussalam and Cambodia in one group, while Myanmar and Timor-Leste form part of the second group under the tournament’s two-group format. The final round of Division 1 group matches will be played on October 1 and 2.
The group winners will advance to their respective finals, while the runners-up in both Division 1 groups will contest a third-place match. The Division 1 final, along with the third-place match, will take place on October 5, while the Division 2 final will happen on 3rd October.
The tournament will be staged across venues including Gelora Bung Karno Stadium and Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Indonesia and Kai Tak Stadium and Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong.
All 11 ASEAN member nations are taking part in the inaugural competition, alongside three guest teams.
India, which was reportedly expected to participate in the tournament, has pulled out, with the national team instead set to play two friendly matches against Brazil during the same September-October international window.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the tournament had been created to provide national teams with meaningful competitive opportunities within the Men’s International Match Calendar.
“The FIFA ASEAN Cup was launched to provide national teams with meaningful competitive opportunities within the Men’s International Match Calendar, giving players the chance to represent their countries in high-intensity regional rivalries,” Infantino said.
“The tournament will strengthen football ties across Southeast Asia while delivering unforgettable moments and fantastic international action for fans throughout the region,” he added.
FIFA said the participating teams represent a combined population of more than two billion people and that the competition aims to strengthen football ties across Southeast Asia while providing established and emerging teams with a high-quality international platform.
