With the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup™ set to get underway on August 21, we shine the spotlight on some of the star players set to feature in the competition's maiden edition.
Having already looked at those who could light up Group A, ASEAN United FC turns the focus to Group B, where some of Southeast Asia's most recognisable players are set to make their bow.
Ahead of the opening matches in Group B on August 22, here are six stars to look out for.
Theerathon Bunmathan (Buriram United)
A Buriram United legend and the captain of the Thailand national team, Theerathon Bunmathan remains one of the most dynamic players in the region with the left-back’s overlapping runs and set-piece prowess helping him win league titles in both Thailand and Japan during an illustrious playing career.
Theerathon became the first Thai player to win the J1 League title, achieving the feat with Yokohama F. Marinos in 2019, and has also won eight Thai League 1 titles, seven of those at the Thunder Castle, with the 2022 AFF Championship’s Most Valuable Player set to bring his relentless pursuit for success to the Shopee Cup.
Paulo Josue (Kuala Lumpur City FC)
Since landing in the Malaysian capital in May 2017, Paulo Josue has become a name synonymous with Kuala Lumpur City FC, helping the club in two promotion campaigns before finally establishing themselves in the Malaysia Super League, and he was then on target in their 2021 Malaysia Cup final success versus JDT, ending their 32-year wait for the cup title.
This was followed by Josue’s goalscoring heroics taking KL City all the way to the AFC Cup final in 2022 in a period of success and widespread fame for the club. And having recently levelled Singaporean legend Fandi Ahmad as the club’s all-time top-scorer, the Malaysia international will lead from the front as the cup competition specialists are ready to have their say again.
Nguyen Quang Hai (Công An Hà Nôi FC)
Widely regarded as one of the finest Vietnamese players of all time, Nguyen Quang Hai burst onto the scene at the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Cup, helping Vietnam achieve a runners-up finish before a MVP performance at the victorious 2018 AFF Championship. A quarter-finals run with the Golden Star Warriors at the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 further cemented his status.
At club level, there were impressive performances for Hanoi FC at both domestic and continental competitions, and following a short overseas spell in France for Pau FC, Quang Hai’s eight goals and three assists powered Công An Hà Nôi FC to the league title last season. Having recently committed his future to the club until 2027, the 27-year-old is once again aiming to shine in an international competition.
Stefano Lilipaly (Borneo FC Samarinda)
Stefano Lilipaly has long-since been considenred among the best players in Indonesia, helping the national team achieve a runners-up finish at the AFF Championship in 2016, with the attacking midfielder notably on target in the semi-finals against Vietnam. Since joining Borneo FC in 2022, he has found a new lease of life.
Lilipaly has registered a combined 19 goals and 27 assists for Borneo across the last two seasons, being selected in the Liga 1 Team of the Season in back-to-back campaigns. The 34-year-old will be hoping to bring that form to the Shopee Cup.
Shuto Komaki (Kaya FC-Iloilo)
Hailing from Japan, Shuto Komaki began his professional playing career with Albirex Niigata (S) in Singapore and his fantastic form proved to be crucial in the club’s Singapore Premier League success in 2023, prompting Kaya FC-Iloilo to secure his services at the start of this year.
Komaki continued from where he left off with 10 goals and eight assists for Kaya seeing him lay his hands on yet another league title, and with the talismanic Jarvey Gayoso having since departed, the onus will be on the Japanese forward to deliver the goods against tougher opposition.
Maxime Lestienne (Lion City Sailors FC)
In 2022, Lion City Sailors FC pulled off a major coup by signing Belgian winger Maxime Lestienne, who had previously played in the UEFA Champions League, and the winger’s blistering displays have already made him arguably the best import in Singapore Premier League history.
Twelve goals and 25 assists in his first season was eclipsed when he registered mind-boggling figures of 25 goals and 22 assists in 2023 with Lestienne showing no signs of slowing down as the Sailors star is now set to bring the fireworks in the Shopee Cup for a wider audience.
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