Footballing Weekly: ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup dates set to clash with AFC Champions League competitions
Players may not be released by top Southeast Asia clubs, and this may lead to "club vs country" squabbles all around the region
SINGAPORE — This year's ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup, the region's top international football tournament, could ignite a "club vs country" furore, as its competition dates clash with Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) new Champions League competitions.
The dates for the 15th edition of the ASEAN Cup were announced on 29 February to be from 23 November to 21 December. This is a departure from past editions, which were usually played in December and January.
As the competition is a non-FIFA sanctioned event, it is therefore played outside the regular international window. More importantly, football clubs are not obligated to release their players for the biennial tournament. And this poses a major issue when the ASEAN Cup clashes with major Asian tournaments other than the various domestic league competitions in Southeast Asia.
This year's ASEAN Cup will clash with two AFC Champions League (ACL) competitions. The ACL Elite will see top regional clubs such as Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim and the eventual champions of the Thai League 1 take part.
Meanwhile, the ACL 2 competition also involves teams from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore, which will be represented by Singapore Premier League runners-up Lion City Sailors. Fellow Singapore Premier League side Tampines Rovers and the eventual winners of Indonesia’s Liga 1 may also qualify via play-offs.
Will squabbles devalue the ASEAN Cup?
The ACL Elite is set to have its match-days from 25 to 27 November, as well as from 2 to 4 December. Meanwhile, ACL 2 will see action from 26 to 28 November, as well as from 3 to 5 December. These dates fall amid the competition dates for the ASEAN Cup.
While the Singapore national team are keen to do well in the ASEAN Cup, SPL clubs like the Sailors and Tampines will also want to do well in ACL 2, as Singapore will gain more coefficient points which will determine the country’s qualifying spots for future AFC club competitions.
Could top players miss out on the ASEAN Cup? Why couldn't the ASEAN Football Federation find dates which don't clash with the AFC Champions League competitions? Wouldn't this "club vs country" squabble devalue the ASEAN Cup?
Join the "Footballing Weekly" podcast show as the panellists discuss this farcical situation.
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