Phu Tho: It will be a repeat of the 2022 edition final when Vietnam will square off against Thailand at the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 Final 1st Leg at Viet Tri Stadium on Thursday.
The teams will come into the final on the back of contrasting semi-final wins. Vietnam cruised past Singapore 5-1 on aggregate, with the in-form Nguyen Xuan Son scoring three of the five goals.
Xuan Son will likely be Vietnam’s dangerman again in the final, as he stands atop the scoring charts now with five goals in just three matches, having completely transformed the mood in the Vietnam camp.
However, Kim Sang-sik’s side suffered a major blow in the second leg when full-back Ho Tan Tai had to be stretchered off in the 86th minute of the contest. Following tests, it has been revealed that the 27-year-old will not require any surgery but will miss both legs of the final after suffering a contusion of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Meanwhile, Thailand had a much more energy-sapping encounter against the Philippines in the semi-final second leg, which went to extra time as Suphanat Mueanta came off the bench to head home the winner in the 116th minute, sparking jubilant celebrations on the touchline and around Rajamangala Stadium.
Suphanat was hospitalised with a high fever but the 22-year-old still came on to play a 22-minute cameo during extra time, in which he scored the winning goal to once again prove why he is amongst the best youngsters in ASEAN football.
The forward has travelled with the squad to Vietnam but it remains to be seen if he will recover fully in time to start the match on Thursday in front of what is expected to be another sellout crowd in Northern Vietnam.
In the first leg of the 2022 final in Hanoi, the match finished 2-2 after Vu Van Thanh’s stunning 88th-minute strike had helped Vietnam secure a share of the spoils, only to fall to Theerathon Bunmathan’s wonderful strike three days later in Pathum Thani.
Overall, this will be the third meeting between these nations in the ASEAN Championship Final having first squared off in the summit clash in 2008 when Le Cong Vinh’s iconic goal in the 94th minute handed Vietnam their first title and an everlasting memory for the nation’s football lovers.
However, Thailand have lost just three out of 18 matches against Vietnam in all competitions, with the last defeat coming in the 2019 King’s Cup while the 2-1 ASEAN Championship Final first leg win in Bangkok in 2008 remains Vietnam’s last win against their rivals in this competition as the Golden Star Warriors will now be desperate to turn the tide in their favour.
Vietnam vs Thailand, Final 1st Leg
Venue: Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho
Kick-off: 2 January, 8:00 PM (Local Time)
Share now
