The inaugural ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ will see some of the region’s leading teams and players face off after the draw took place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Thursday.
One of the most successful sides in ASEAN, Thai champions Buriram United FC, headline Group B, where they are joined by Vietnam’s Cong An Ha Noi FC and Kaya FC - Iloilo from the Philippines
Kuala Lumpur City FC of Malaysia, Indonesia's Borneo FC Samarinda and Lion City Sailors FC of Singapore make up an exciting six-team group.
Buriram have a star-studded squad full of Thai internationals, with Theerathon Bunmathan and Supachai Jaided among those to represent the nine-time Thai champions. Both players, along with a number of their teammates, have tasted glory with their national team at the Mitsubishi Electric Cup and they will look to replicate that success with their club sides.
It will not be easy, however, with the other sides in their group also featuring an array of big names, none more so than Cong An Ha Noi. The capital city side, crowned champions of Vietnam in 2023, boast iconic Golden Star Warriors Nguyen Quang Hai and Doan Van Hau within their ranks, both of whom have also lifted the Mitsubishi Electric Cup.
The game between the pair, set to take place in the opening round of group stage fixtures on August 22, is undoubtedly one of the matches to look out for.
And there is no shortage of big names elsewhere in Group B, where Singapore Cup holders Lion City feature national team captain Hariss Harun, as well as overseas stars such as Belgian Maxime Lestienne and Australian Bailey Wright.
With the likes of Stefano Lilipaly and Wiljan Pluim, as well as national team Number 1 Nadeo Argawinata in goal, Borneo – who topped the table in Indonesia’s Regular Series – are also sure to be challenging for a top-two finish.
KL City have been cup competition specialists in recent seasons, beating Malaysian powerhouse JDT to win the 2021 Malaysia Cup and getting to the AFC Cup final the following year, while double winners in their homeland, Kaya have several AFC Champions League campaigns under their belt so have the experience of facing some of Asia’s strongest teams.
The legendary Thai duo of Chanathip Songkrasin and Teerasil Dangda will be among the star names in Group A, where their side BG Pathum United FC will face defending Indonesian champions PSM Makassar FC, 2023 Malaysian Cup runners-up Terengganu FC and 2023 Vietnamese Cup winners Dong A Thanh Hoa FC.
Among the other players to look out for are Yakob Sayuri (PSM & Indonesia), Safawi Rasid and Akhyar Rashid (Terengganu & Malaysia) and highly rated young midfielder Nguyen Thai Son (Thanh Hoa & Vietnam).
The four teams will be joined by the winners of the two playoff round games, where Young Elephants FC of Laos take on Cambodia’s Svay Rieng FC and Brunei Darussalam’s Kasuka FC face Myanmar’s Shan United FC.
All four sides are champions of their respective countries and will meet over two-legged playoffs on July 17 and 24 for the right to join the group stage, which kicks off on August 21 and runs until February 6, 2025 with each side playing the other teams in their group one time.
With just over two months to go until the playoffs, the stage is now set for the groundbreaking Shopee Cup to get underway.
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