Teams gearing up for AFF Suzuki Cup showdown

Teams gearing up for AFF Suzuki Cup showdown

National teams are busily fixing up warm-up matches ahead of the AFF Suzuki Cup in November with games being played as far afield as the United States.

AFF Suzuki

National teams are busily fixing up warm-up matches ahead of the AFF Suzuki Cup in November with games being played as far afield as the United States.

Defending champions Malaysia have lined up glamour ties against English Premier League teams, beaten 2010 finalists Indonesia will play Spanish aces Valencia while the Philippines travel to America for training and friendly matches.

Malaysian coach K. Rajagobal has indicated he will start rising star Rozaimi Rahman, who scored 10 goals in the recent AFC U-22 qualifiers in Myanmar, against Arsenal (July 24) and champions Manchester City (July 31) to gauge if he is ready for a spot in the AFF Suzuki Cup squad.

After the Manchester City match, Malaysia will head to Vienna for a training camp from August 4-15. The titleholders have also arranged friendlies against Vietnam on September 11 and Hong Kong on November 14.

Indonesia, rebuilding under new coach Nil Maizar, play La Liga’s Valencia at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on August 4.

As part of their training camp in the United States, the Philippines are scheduled to meet Chicago Inferno from the USL Premier Development League on August 11 before playing the US Virgin Islands national side six days later.

Meanwhile, 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup champions Vietnam are looking to play 10 friendly matches as well as holding a training camp in either Japan or Slovakia in preparation for another crack at the title.

They have confirmed home and away games against Indonesia on September 15 in Hanoi and seven days later in Jakarta as well as the match with Malaysia.

Thailand coach Winfried Schafer has underlined the need for several build-up matches and is pleased that the Football Association of Thailand have fixed up games against a Thai Premier League All-Star side (August 15) and Myanmar (September 12).

Three-time winners Singapore will take on Hong Kong at the Jalan Besar Stadium on August 15 with an away match against the Philippines in November on the cards.

The group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup will be staged from November 24-December 1 with Malaysia hosting Indonesia, Singapore and the second-placed qualifier while co-hosts Thailand take on Vietnam, the Philippines and the first-placed qualifier.

Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Timor Leste will contest a single round-robin qualifying group in Yangon, Myanmar from October 5-13. 

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