The ASEAN Women’s Cup 2024 is all set to get underway on Saturday, November 23 with six nations vying for three qualification spots for next year’s ASEAN Women’s Championship.
Six teams have been placed in two groups of three, with the final scheduled to be held on December 5.
All matches will take place at the National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane, with the venue also set to serve as the home for the Laos men's national team at the upcoming ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024.
ASEAN United FC provides all the info that you need to know as some of Southeast Asia’s promising female footballers are set to take to the pitch.
Group A
Hosts Laos have reached the semi-finals of the ASEAN Women’s Championship twice in 2011 and 2012 and are once again aiming to qualify for the main event, with good performances on home soil.
They had travelled to Dubai last month where they faced Saudi Arabia and Malaysia in warmup matches with their Japanese head coach Nayuha Toyoda saying, “We’ve been preparing for this tournament for two months. We’re ready to compete with the teams in our group.”
One of the teams Laos will come up against is Singapore with the quartet of captain Rosnani Azman, Syazwani Ruzi, Cara Chang and Farah Nurzahirah set to be key for them, in the absence of star forward Danelle Tan of Brisbane Roar who will miss out after undergoing a knee surgery.
The Lionesses will be managed by Moroccan head coach Karim Bencherifa who has vast experience of managing clubs in his native country and India with the 56-year-old now set for his latest challenge.
“Our aim is to perform well, represent Singapore with dignity and most importantly qualify for the final tournament next year,” stated Bencherifa.
And finally, in Group A Timor-Leste will once again aim to spring a surprise having defeated Singapore for their only win in the tournament proper back in 2019 as the Timorese are targeting a fifth successive qualification to the group stage.
Group B
Cambodia will take their place in Group B with former men’s national team forward Khoun Laboravy recently appointed as the man to lead the nation in the ASEAN Women’s Cup 2024.
Phnom Penh Crown’s Soeurn Vipha and Yon Yeurn of Nagaworld FC will lead their attack as Cambodia aim to repeat the heroics of last year’s SEA Games when they had reached the semi-finals as hosts.
2007 semi-finalists Malaysia will be strong contenders in Group B with the Malayan Tigress undergoing their first training in Vientiane on Friday ahead of their opening match next week.
Soleen Al Zoubi’s side held Saudi Arabia and beat Laos in last month’s warm up matches in Dubai with captain Steffi Sarge Kaur set to lead the team from the front. She stated, “Despite all the challenges, we are focused and we want to go back home after winning the tournament.”
H-1 AFF WOMEN’S CUP 2024. 👱♀️🦅
— Timnas Indonesia (@TimnasIndonesia) November 22, 2024
‣ #KitaGaruda ‣ #PertiwiBerani pic.twitter.com/aRSBDL8Qno
Arch-rivals Indonesia reached the ASEAN Women’s Championship semi-finals in the inaugural edition in 2004 and were recently in the Netherlands for their preparatory camp for this tournament.
Dutch-born duo Estella Loupatty and Noa Leatomu have recently arrived to bolster Satoru Mochizuki’s squad as they now set their eyes on the ASEAN Women’s Cup 2024.
Photo: Football Association of Malaysia
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