Some of Southeast Asia’s top teams and players will battle each other for regional supremacy as the group stage action in the inaugural ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ gets underway with Matchday One on August 21.
There will be plenty of familiar names in action in the group stage where 12 clubs from eight countries are split into two pools, but the competition will also showcase a wealth of young talent eager to leave their mark on the tournament.
With the kick-off for the first-ever Shopee Cup group stage fast approaching, ASEAN United FC takes a look at five youngsters who have the potential to make a big impact in the tournament.
Azam Azmi - Terengganu FC
Azam Azmi’s solid displays in the Terengganu FC defence during the 2023 season not only earned him the best defender award in Malaysia, beating out competition from veterans like La'Vere Corbin-Ong, but also a transfer to reigning Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim. Now back with the Turtles on loan, Azam will hope to guide the club to further success during the 2024/25 season.
The right-back began his career with the Terengganu youth teams before getting promoted to the senior squad in 2020. The 23-year-old, who can also contribute in attacks, made his continental debut in the AFC Cup last year and featured in Kim Pan-gon’s Malaysia squad during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, having made his international debut back in 2022.
Nathan Mao - Lion City Sailors FC
He might be only 16 years old, but Nathan Mao has already etched his name into Singaporean football history. The attacking midfielder is Singapore Premier League’s youngest-ever debutant at 15 years and 5 days old, the youngest to feature in an AFC Champions League matchday squad since 2012 and also the youngest to play in a Singapore Cup final.
Mao has been part of the Lion City Sailors FC set-up since 2020 and now rubs shoulders with the likes of Diego Lopes and Maxime Lestienne – the stars he looked up to while coming through the ranks at the academy. It might be a tall ask to break into one of the most star-studded line-ups in ASEAN football, but the youngster will see the Shopee Cup as the perfect opportunity to earn minutes and show the world what he is made of.
Waris Chuthong - BG Pathum United
At only 20 years of age, Waris Chuthong is fast establishing himself as one of the best full-backs in Thailand and Southeast Asia. The young right-back began his professional career in the Thai third division with Rajpracha FC, but it didn’t take too long for him to catch the eyes of some of the top clubs in the country, finally earning a move to Thai League 1 giants BG Pathum United in 2022.
Waris, who can also play in the midfield, made his AFC Champions League debut during 2023/24 and won his first silverware with the Rabbits, starting the Thai League Cup final victory against Muangthong United in June. Having scored his first senior goal on the final day of the 2023/24 Thai League 1 season, the youngster will hope to continue his rise as the Thai side look to become the first-ever Shopee Cup champions.
Ananda Raehan - PSM Makassar
Ananda Raehan is already a seasoned campaigner making over 70 appearances for his hometown club PSM Makassar across all competitions since his debut in 2022. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder had a memorable debut season in Indonesia's Liga 1, screening his side’s defence and scoring twice in 31 appearances to guide the Makassar side to their first league title in 23 years in 2022/23.
The Makassar-born star also won the gold medal at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, acting as a key cog in Indra Sjafri’s Indonesia U-23 side. Raehan will now hope another impressive campaign with PSM will help him earn a place in Timnas Indonesia squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and beyond.
Nhean Sosidan - PKR Svay Rieng FC
Nhean Sosidan bagged a stunning goal and two assists across two legs of the Qualifying Round Play-offs against Young Elephants FC to send Cambodian champions PKR Svay Rieng FC to the group stage of the inaugural Shopee Cup. The substitute was instrumental in helping his side fight back from 2-1 down to win the first leg 3-2, bagging the assist for the equaliser before curling in a late winner to stun the side from Laos.
The 21-year-old right winger impressed for Tiffy Army during the 2023/24 Cambodian Premier League season accounting for 13 goals from 27 matches and earning a move to Svay Rieng in mid-2024. Sosidan is also a Cambodia international, having made his debut in a win against Guam in October 2021 under Japanese tactician Ryu Hirose.
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