The ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 concluded this past weekend with Vietnam defeating Thailand 5-3 on aggregate in the final to emerge as the champions of the 15th edition.
A total of 91 goals were scored in 26 matches in a month of thrilling action across 11 venues in Southeast Asia, serving up a festival of football for ASEAN football lovers.
Malaysia’s Stuart Wilkin scored the opening goal of the tournament against Cambodia, setting the tone for what was to come. ASEAN United FC looks back ar 10 of the best goals scored in this year’s tournament and asks you, the fans, to vote for your favourite at the bottom of the article.
Syafiq Ahmad (Malaysia)
vs Timor-Leste, 11 December
Malaysia scored one of the best team goals with a patient move to open the scoring against Timor-Leste. It all began with Danial Amier playing a ball over the top with the outside of his foot from his own half to find Fergus Tierney in space, who picked the ball up just outside the edge of the box.
The young forward then looked up and found Syafiq Ahmad with an inch-perfect pass behind a stagnant Timorese backline, as Syafiq arrived to meet the ball and volleyed it into the roof of the net with his first touch to finish off a lovely move.
Joao Pedro (Timor-Leste)
vs Malaysia, 11 December
In the same match, Malaysia were left shell-shocked even before the half-time whistle had blown! Joao Pedro supplied a stunning assist for Olagar Xavier to equalise and then provided another individual moment of magic to send Timor-Leste into dreamland.
Claudio Osorio headed across to Pedro, who collected the ball following a back flick. Pedro then ran the length of the pitch from his own half with incredible acceleration, cutting inside before planting a sumptuous strike beyond the keeper’s reach in what will arguably go down as one of the most iconic goals in the tournament’s illustrious history.
Maung Maung Lwin (Myanmar)
vs Philippines, 12 December
Myanmar superstar Maung Maung Lwin delivered a free-kick tutorial against the Philippines on Matchday Two in Manila. After a fighting display against Indonesia in their opener, Myanmar started on the front foot in their second match.
In the 25th minute, Maung Maung Lwin's perfect curl on his free-kick left Patrick Deyto rooted to his spot as the ball flew into the net, in a goal reminiscent of the stoppage time free-kick he had scored against Laos in the 2022 edition making it now a fourth successive ASEAN Championship in which he has scored. A truly admirable record!
Shawal Anuar (Singapore)
vs Thailand, 17 December
Talk about a goal to take your breath away and Shawal Anuar provided exactly that against Thailand. Izwan Mahbud’s goal kick was beautifully brought down by Shawal but he still had plenty to do from there.
The pacey forward chose to go with his instinct, hitting a low strike into the bottom corner from outside the box as the Singapore National Stadium erupted in the 10th minute of the contest. A goal that Lions fans will remember for a long, long time!
Faris Ramli (Singapore)
vs Thailand, 17 December
In the same half of the same match, Faris Ramli matched Shawal with an outstanding effort of his own. Faris picked up Hami Syahin’s ball on the left wing, drove inside and then curled a glorious strike into the top corner.
Just like Shawal, it was also Faris’ second goal of the tournament, having earlier scored against Cambodia. Singapore ultimately went on to reach the semi-finals with this goal being one of their highlights of the campaign.
Abdel Kader Coulibaly (Cambodia)
vs Thailand, 20 December
Abdel Kader Coulibaly is one of the new faces in the Cambodian national team and he had already scored a debut goal against Malaysia. With Cambodia trailing 3-1 to Thailand in the closing stages, the Ivory Coast-born forward did provide the awat fans one last moment to savour.
In the 96th minute of the match, a long searching ball fell towards the path of Coulibaly and he hit a low half volley from the edge of the penalty box for his second goal in national team colours.
Sandro Reyes (Philippines)
vs Thailand, 27 December
Thailand were once again the victims of a beautiful goal and this time it was Sandro Reyes in the semi-final first leg at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
The Filipino starboy took the ball from Alex Monis’ and bent one with a left-footed missile from the edge of the box to send the home fans into raptures, as the Philippines went on to beat Thailand for the first time in 52 years for one of the standout results in the tournament.
Bjorn Martin Kristensen (Philippines)
vs Thailand, 30 December
Another Philippines player, Bjorn Martin Kristensen, is next up on the list for his effort against Thailand in the semi-final second leg.
Despite as many as four Thailand players around him, Kristensen managed to twist and turn before rifling a low accurate strike beyond Patiwat Khammai’s reach as the 22-year-old’s fifth international goal ultimately took the game to extra time.
Nguyen Xuan Son (Vietnam)
vs Thailand, 2 January
There was no shortage of great goals in both legs of the final as well with the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer Nguyen Xuan Son the star of the show in the first leg with his second goal in the final being a solo effort.
Xuan Son dispossessed Chalermsak Aukkee near the halfway line, starting a lung-bursting run followed by going round the outside of fellow centre-back Pansa Hemviboon and then applied a clinical finish into the side netting. The goal was matched by a passionate celebration as Vietnam's love affair with their newfound hero continued.
Supachok Sarachat (Thailand)
vs Vietnam, 5 January
Just past the hour mark in the second leg of the decisive final, Supachok Sarachat levelled the score on aggregate for Thailand after an effort from a long way out.
Ben Davis’ pass found Supachok in space and he decided to unleash a long-range rocket which whistled past the despairing dive of the Vietnam keeper and into the net for his second ASEAN Championship final goal, having previously netted against Indonesia in the final of the 2020 edition.
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