The ASEAN Championship has always been the stage where Southeast Asian football legends are made and the stage is once again set for new stars to emerge.
From Kiatisuk 'Zico' Senamuang and Noh Alam Shah to Nguyen Quang Hai and Chanathip Songkrasin, the tournament has witnessed superstars from various eras, and a new crop of players will aim to write their names in golden letters at the upcoming ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™.
ASEAN United FC picks five players to keep an eye out for in Group A when the matches commence on December 8. Vote now for your favourite at the foot of the article!
Suphanat Mueanta (Thailand)
Seven-time winners Thailand are targeting an unprecedented third successive title this time around but will be without their key trio Chanathip Songkrasin, Teerasil Dangda and Theerathon Bunmathan so the onus will be on young players to carry on the mantle and Suphanat Mueanta is one of those.
Still only 22, the boy dubbed as the Thai wonderkid became the youngest goalscorer in AFC Champions League history back in 2019 when he scored for Buriram United against Beijing FC.
This year, he has been in good form for the War Elephants, grabbing the headlines after scoring an equaliser in Seoul against Korea Republic in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, while also being on the scoresheet in wins over Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. Suphanat is now set to lead a new-look Thailand attack next month.
Paulo Josue (Malaysia)
A perfect example of a late bloomer, Paulo Josue arrived in Malaysia in the summer of 2017 at ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ side Kuala Lumpur City FC and what transpired in the following years was beyond anyone’s imagination.
Josue scored in the 2021 Malaysia Cup final as KL City stunned Johor Darul Ta’zim to win the trophy for the first time in 32 years before famously leading the capital city club to a dream run to the AFC Cup final the following year.
Having only made his national team debut last year, the 35-year-old provided the assist for Malaysia’s last-minute equaliser against Korea Republic in this year’s AFC Asian Cup before scoring against Chinese Taipei and India in recent matches. With 12 goal contributions in 12 league matches this season, KL City’s all-time top scorer will now bring his quality to the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.
Shawal Anuar (Singapore)
Happy Birthday Shawal!🎉 pic.twitter.com/Xqlu2IHsEl
— FAS (@FASingapore) April 29, 2024
Another forward who will come into the tournament in terrific form is Singapore’s Shawal Anuar. The 33-year-old, who can operate as both a centre forward and winger, combines blistering pace with clinical finishing, making him a prized asset for the Lions.
Shawal scored against Tottenham Hotspur in an international club friendly last year and his numbers in front of goal have been on the rise ever since. Fourteen goals and 10 assists in all competitions this season prove how lethal he has been for ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ club Lion City Sailors FC.
For the national team, he netted two goals in the previous edition of the ASEAN Championship, including a winner against Myanmar, and has been amongst the goals in each of the nation’s two recent matches this month. Singapore will now count on the speedster to deliver the goods again on the big stage.
Lim Pisoth (Cambodia)
💯 Lim Pisoth has helped 🇰🇭 pick up 2 wins from 3 games
— ASEAN United FC (@aseanutdfc) January 1, 2023
😍 Here's some of his best moments!#AFFMitsubishiElectricCup2022 | #BeTheGameChanger pic.twitter.com/zf2yquJ6oj
An exciting generation of players are coming through in Cambodian football and Lim Pisoth is one who has the ability to light up the tournament. The 23-year-old winger has been in instrumental form for Phnom Penh Crown in the Cambodian Premier League.
Pisoth has been one of the stars for his hometown club, recording 12 goal contributions in 12 league appearances as his club sit comfortably at the top of the league table in their bid to reclaim the domestic crown this term.
For the Koupreys, Pisoth scored a brace in the previous edition against Brunei DS and, if he can replicate his club form, the upcoming tournament could well be another successful campaign in national team colours. The Cambodian fans will be hoping for exactly that come December.
Paulo Gali (Timor-Leste)
Timor-Leste’s very own star of the show, Paulo Gali was the one whose individual brilliance helped his nation return to the group stage of the tournament after missing out in the last edition.
Gali took matters into his own hands to score the only goal in a 1-0 first-leg win against Brunei DS in October which ultimately proved decisive, having also featured in the 2020 edition previously.
Plying his trade for PSIS Semarang in Liga 1 Indonesia, Gali has also captained the U23 national team and the senior national team on occasion,s and he will now aim to get Timor-Leste’s first points on the board at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.
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