The showpiece football competition in Southeast Asia, the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ attracts viewers from all participating nations at their respective home venues.
In the first three editions from 1996 to 2000, the tournament was hosted by a single host followed by a co-host nation format until 2016.
However, in the year 2018 a brand new format was introduced where each participating nation gets to host at least two group stage matches at home thereby attracting more crowd and providing a unique flavour in ASEAN football.
The 2024 edition will be no exception, as the ASEAN United FC takes a look at all the venues that are set to host matches in Group A.
Rajamangala Stadium (Thailand)
🎉 The 🇹🇭 faithful rocked up the Rajamangala Stadium with a score of 114.7 decibels during the Decibel Meter Challenge brought to you by Air Asia! 👏 #RoarWithAirAsia #DareToDream pic.twitter.com/vYPnK1xKtR
— ASEAN United FC (@aseanutdfc) November 18, 2018
Rajamangala Stadium is the largest football stadium in Thailand and was inaugurated during the 13th Asian Games in 1998. With a total capacity of around 50,000, the iconic stadium has hosted several important tournaments in its illustrious history.
The War Elephants played their triumphant 2000, 2014 and 2016 ASEAN Championship finals in this venue while it has also hosted several matches in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, 2020 AFC U-23 Championship and 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup.
Located in Hua Mak in Bangkok, Rajamangala Stadium also hosts global music concerts having been the arena for Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars’ performances in 2024 and is now all decked up to be the home venue for Thailand’s title defence at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.
Bukit Jalil National Stadium (Malaysia)
🎉 The Bukit Jalil 🇲🇾 crowd kicked off the decibel meter challenge brought to you by Air Asia with a record of 117.0 decibels to beat!
— ASEAN United FC (@aseanutdfc) November 13, 2018
🤔 How will the next set of fans perform?#RoarWithAirAsia #DareToDream pic.twitter.com/3HXewatHVA
The largest football stadium in Southeast Asia and one of the largest in all of Asia, Bukit Jalil National Stadium was opened for the 16th Commonwealth Games in 1998. With a current seating capacity exceeding 87,000 it is the proud home of the Malaysian national football team.
Harimau Malaya defeated Indonesia 3-0 in the first leg of the 2010 ASEAN Championship final at this venue, while it has also hosted the 2014 and 2018 ASEAN Championship finals, 2007 AFC Asian Cup matches, 2018 AFC U-16 Championship and the 2022 AFC Cup final.
The annual Pestabola Merdeka is also held at this Kuala Lumpur arena while similar to Rajamangala Stadium, Bukit Jalil also welcomes performers from across the world having been home to sold-out concerts of Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and AR Rahman this year. Timor-Leste and Causeway Derby rivals Singapore will soon get a taste of the electrifying atmosphere at this stadium.
National Stadium (Singapore)
Singapore National Stadium 🏟 pic.twitter.com/CfmgxsQ307
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 26, 2023
Another stunning Southeast Asian football venue is the National Stadium in Kallang, Singapore with its iconic dome and retractable roof giving it a stunning exterior look.
The Pride of Singapore, the stadium holds a capacity for 55,000 people and was opened in June 2014. It has hosted prestigious sporting events such as the SEA Games, Premier League Asia Trophy and the International Champions Cup.
The Singapore National Stadium also hosted both legs of the 2020 ASEAN Championship final as Thailand beat Indonesia 6-2 on aggregate for their sixth title and will now be the setting for the Lions’ home matches against Cambodia and Thailand at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.
National Olympic Stadium (Cambodia)
Inaugurated 60 years ago in the year 1964, Cambodia’s National Olympic Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the nation and has hosted many important matches throughout the years.
The stadium hosted both legs of the decisive FIFA World Cup 1966 qualification matches between DPR Korea and Australia with the former winning 9-2 on aggregate before stunning the world by reaching the quarter-finals of the main event.
Cambodia defeated Laos 3-1 in the group stage of the 2018 ASEAN Championship here, with the win being their first in the competition in 16 years. The stadium in Phnom Penh recently underwent an upgrade with the installation of individual seats and can accommodate up to 30,000 spectators during their upcoming matches against Malaysia and Timor-Leste.
Hang Day Stadium (Timor-Leste)
Timor-Leste will play their home matches versus Thailand and Singapore at the Hang Day Stadium in Vietnam because their original home doesn’t meet the FIFA standards.
The venue is the home to both Hanoi FC and ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ side Công An Hà Nội FC who’ve beaten both Buriram United and Lion City Sailors FC at this venue in recent months.
Turning back the clock, the Hang Day Stadium had hosted the 1998 ASEAN Championship final as well as the 2018 group stage match between Vietnam and Cambodia in the Golden Star Warriors’ victorious campaign.
Photo: SG Sports Hub
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