With all the teams being strong, the AFF Cup is no longer a local tournament?

After concluding the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese national team will begin preparations for Southeast Asia's top tournament, the 2026 AFF Cup, which will take place this coming July.

Indonesia and Singapore are both very strong.

Unlike previous tournaments, the AFF Cup 2026 officially kicked off from July 24th to August 26th, marking the first time it has been held in the summer. Ten Southeast Asian teams competed in a home and away group stage format, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals.

The Vietnamese national team is in Group A as the top seed. However, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will have to face very strong opponents in the region, namely Indonesia and Singapore (the other two teams being Cambodia and Timor Leste or Brunei), as both of these teams have qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup finals like Vietnam. Indonesia, after a massive naturalization of players of Indonesian descent but born in countries like the Netherlands, England, and Belgium, has risen significantly. Besides reaching the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, competing on equal footing with top regional rivals like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman, the team also regularly plays friendly matches with European teams. Recently, during FIFA Days, Indonesia played against Bulgaria and lost narrowly 0-1.

Hoang Hen (right) helps make the Vietnamese team's attack sharper.

PHOTO: MINH TU

Indonesia's strength lies in its high-quality naturalized players, many of whom play in leagues such as the Netherlands, England, France, Germany, and Italy. Notable examples include Kevin Diks (Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany), Jay Idzes (Sassuolo, Italy), Calvin Verdonk (Lille, France), and Ole Romeny (Oxford United, England). The combination of physique, speed, and modern tactical thinking makes Indonesia a formidable opponent beyond Southeast Asia. They are the most dangerous opponent for the Vietnamese team in the upcoming tournament. Because this year's tournament is held in the summer, a time when European leagues are on break, Indonesia is likely to field its strongest team.

The Singapore team made history for their national football team by qualifying for the Asian Cup for the first time, finishing top of their group with an unbeaten record. Remarkably, they achieved this while ranked 148th in the world , the lowest ranking among all teams that have qualified for the finals. Most of the Singapore players are currently playing for BG Tampines Rovers, the club that defeated Hanoi Police FC in the Round of 16 of the AFC Cup last February.

Highlights of the Vietnamese team's victory over Malaysia: Confident in defending their AFF Cup title.

Vietnam's "super" attacking lineup

Meanwhile, Cambodia is also aiming to spring a surprise at this year's AFF Cup by declaring they will use nine naturalized players to face Vietnam and Indonesia. Currently, the Cambodian Football Federation (FFC) and coach Koji Gyotoku are planning to call up nine naturalized players for the tournament, including: defender Mohammed Faeez Khan (of South African origin), midfielder Yudai Ogawa (Japan), forward Rafael Andrés Nieto Rondón (Colombia), defender Hikaru Mizuno (Japan), center-back Takaki Ose (Japan), forward Abdel Kader Coulibaly (Ivory Coast), forward Privat Mbarga (Cameroon), midfielder Alisher Mirzaev (Uzbekistan), and center-back Anderson Zogbe (Ivory Coast). With this squad of highly skilled naturalized players, Cambodia will likely pose a challenge to both the Vietnamese and Indonesian teams.

For the Vietnamese national team, after finalizing their strongest lineup in the recent 3-1 victory against Malaysia, coach Kim Sang-sik will add quality players from the U23 team such as Dinh Bac, Ly Duc (both having served their suspensions), Thanh Nhan, and Minh Phuc. With these top players available, coach Kim will have a "super" attacking lineup including: goalkeeper Nguyen Filip; three central defenders Viet Anh, Duy Manh, and Van Hau; Quang Vinh (left) and Tien Anh (right) on the wings; and Hoang Duc and Quang Hai as the two central midfielders. The three forwards will be Hoang Hen, Xuan Son, and Dinh Bac. With this lineup, the Vietnamese national team will not fear any opponent in the tournament.

With the strengthening of the teams, the 2026 AFF Cup is predicted to be much more competitive and gradually shed its negative reputation as a "local tournament".

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Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cac-doi-deu-manh-aff-cup-khong-con-la-ao-lang-185260403205946014.htm