The curtains came down on the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 last weekend with Vietnam defeating Thailand 5-3 on aggregate to clinch their third title.
The 15th edition of Southeast Asia’s flagship international football tournament provided plenty of memorable moments as the record book was rewritten in the last month or so.
ASEAN United FC takes a look at some of the best stats and facts from the tournament gone by. Check out our segment below!
The third time’s a charm
Vietnam lifted the prestigious ASEAN Championship trophy for the third time in history after getting the better of rivals Thailand in a two-legged final.
This follows the Golden Star Warriors’ 2008 and 2018 triumph, whilst also becoming only the second nation since Singapore in 2004 to win both legs of the final. Vietnam even managed to inflict on Thailand their first defeat at the Rajamangala Stadium since the 2008 Final 1st Leg. Just goes on to show the dominance they’ve had in this year’s tournament!
Unstoppable Xuan Son
One major factor in Vietnam’s domination this time round is their forward Nguyen Xuan Son. Making only his international debut in their final group stage game against Myanmar, the 27-year-old took the tournament by storm finishing as the Top Scorer with seven goals with five of those coming in the knockout stages as he broke the record for most goals scored by a Vietnamese player in a single edition of the tournament.
Xuan Son also formed an exclusive company after being adjudged as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament, becoming only the second player to pick up both awards in the same edition after Singapore’s Noh Alam Shah did so in the year 2007.
Joao Pedro writes his own story
Another player who was impressive at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 is Timor-Leste winger Joao Pedro. Pedro was the name on everyone’s lips after a terrific performance against Malaysia in the group stage when he provided a breathtaking assist for Olagar Xavier, the nation’s first goal in this stage since 2018.
The 26-year-old then took matters into his own hands with a solo goal for the ages. Pedro went on to score another goal against Cambodia in their final group match, in the process becoming the highest-scoring Timorese in ASEAN Championship history as well as the nation’s joint all-time top scorer to leave with his head held high.
Classic Maung Maung Lwin
Myanmar superstar Maung Maung Lwin created his own enviable record of scoring in the fourth successive ASEAN Championship after a brilliant free-kick against the Philippines in Manila on Matchday Two.
Still only 29, he has remarkably scored in every edition since 2018 having previously found the back of the net against Singapore, Laos and Timor-Leste further cementing his status as one of Myanmar’s most iconic players.
Filipino football is back!
One of the stories of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 was the revival of the Philippines national football team with the nation being one of the most consistent teams in the 2010s when they reached the semi-finals in four out of five editions during their Golden Era.
However, since 2018 they hadn’t made it past the group stage with all of that changing in 2024 as they went unbeaten in the group stage. The Philippines’ best was yet to come as they took down Thailand 2-1 in the semi-final first leg thanks to a dramatic 95th-minute winner from Kike Linares, their first win over the Thais in 52 years earning admiration beyond Southeast Asia for their exploits.
Goodbye Reichelt
Following the Philippines’ away win over Indonesia to confirm their return to the semi-finals, one of the country’s greatest footballing sons Patrick Reichelt announced his decision to step away from international football.
Reichelt participated in six editions of the ASEAN Championship finishing as the Philippines’ joint second-highest scorer of all time. At 36, he was the oldest player to feature in this edition forming the only link between the Philippines’ glorious past and their exciting present.
Laotians’ valiant effort
Another team that fought against the odds and performed admirably were Laos, who recorded their highest points haul in two decades.
Following a defeat to eventual winners Vietnam, Laos bounced back to hold Indonesia in their own backyard in an exciting 3-3 draw, their first point against Team Garuda in 12 years. Ha Hyeok-jun’s side then went on to hold another of the big boys, the Philippines in their next outing going on to show how far they’ve come in recent years.
Fans flock to stadiums
With 11 venues hosting 26 matches across nine Southeast Asian nations, fans across the region experienced the unique flavour of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ yet again as spectators flocked to catch a glimpse of their favourite team at home while many even made the journey for away games.
The Cambodian fans set the tone with almost 25,000 fans witnessing their team record a memorable 2-2 draw against Malaysia in the opener at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh. The highest attendance was recorded in the second leg of the final though with as many as 46,982 fans in attendance watching a classic final that went down to the wire.
The Korean-Vietnamese winning formula
There’s just something about Korean head coaches and the Vietnamese national team. The Golden Star Warriors had reached new heights in Park Hang-seo’s reign between 2017 and 2023 when they beat Malaysia 3-2 on aggregate in the 2018 final to lift their long-awaited second title.
Former Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager Kim Sang-sik was appointed as Vietnam’s new head coach in May 2024. In just eight months since taking charge, the 48-year-old former Korean national team defender has taken the nation to the pinnacle of ASEAN football again. Talk about a winning formula!
Success follows everywhere you go!
And finally, despite the presence of several established players in Vietnam’s title-winning squad, there were a couple of new names who are coming up the ranks and are expected to form a mainstay for years to come.
Three members of the current squad — Bui Vi Hao, Khuat Van Khang and Tran Trung Kien were a part of the triumphant AFF U-23 Championship squad in 2023, successfully transitioning into the senior national team setup with Vi Hao even managing to score versus Myanmar in the group stage.
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