Will the FIFA ASEAN Cup kill the AFF Cup, or will both tournaments take place?

The Southeast Asian press has had its first reactions after FIFA announced it would hold a new tournament with the participation of all 11 ASEAN countries. So what will happen to the AFF Cup?

Both tournaments are held together, or will the AFF Cup become the FIFA ASEAN Cup version?

The FIFA ASEAN Cup was born as a result of cooperation between the International Football Federation (FIFA) and the ASEAN bloc (Southeast Asian countries), after the signing ceremony of the ASEAN-FIFA Memorandum of Understanding, on the occasion of the 47th ASEAN Summit and related summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center on October 26.

The Vietnam team is the current champion of the AFF Cup, and will have the opportunity to conquer the upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup championship.

Photo: Dong Nguyen Khang

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the tournament was created to breathe new life into football in the region, and to symbolize the unity of ASEAN nations through the world's most popular sport .

"This will have an impact not only on Southeast Asia but also on the whole world," Mr. Gianni Infantino emphasized when talking to reporters after the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on football development between ASEAN and FIFA.

The previous memorandum of understanding between FIFA and ASEAN was signed in November 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Mr. Infantino described the memorandum of understanding between FIFA and the 11 ASEAN member states as "very special".

"The number 11 is symbolic in the world of football, because every team has 11 players. This tournament aims to create a real boost for football with the participation of the best players within the framework of the FIFA international competition calendar, so that football not only creates influence in the region but also shines around the world. Football connects the world, and together we are connecting the world with the current 11 ASEAN countries. The FIFA ASEAN Cup will be a great success in the region," affirmed Mr. Gianni Infantino.

The upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup is said to be similar in format to the highly successful FIFA Arab Cup. However, whether this new FIFA tournament will have any impact on another long-standing regional tournament in Southeast Asia, the AFF Cup, is still unclear.

The Indonesian team has high expectations for the FIFA ASEAN Cup, as they will be able to call up their best naturalized stars to return to compete.

Photo: Reuters

Journalist and long-time regional football commentator Rhysh Roshan Rai wondered: "Will the FIFA ASEAN Cup be similar to the AFF Cup? Or is the AFF Cup just held during the FIFA Days so that players who are allowed by their clubs can return to their national teams to compete?

I think it will be the second tournament (AFF Cup takes place in the FIFA Days calendar and will be organized by FIFA and AFF (Asean Football Federation). I am not sure if there will be enough conditions to organize both Asean championships. I do not know how these tournaments will be organized".

Meanwhile, journalist Deepanraj Ganesan of The Straits Times (Singapore) expressed: "If the FIFA ASEAN Cup is born and officially organized according to FIFA standards, the AFF Cup could be eliminated. Therefore, I also ask the question, what will the FIFA ASEAN Cup mean for the AFF Cup?".

Journalist T. Avineshwaran of The Star (Malaysia) has high hopes that the FIFA ASEAN Cup will bring a breath of fresh air to completely change regional football, which has long focused on the AFF Cup, and the tournament is not on the FIFA Days schedule, which always makes it difficult for teams and their goals to participate.

"FIFA will consult with all football stakeholders in the region, including the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), AFF and FIFA member associations of ASEAN member countries, with the official format of the tournament to be finalized in the near future. This is good news, very much anticipated. Hopefully this tournament will create a new impetus for the development of regional football," journalist T. Avineshwaran commented.

The Indonesian press is also extremely excited about the birth of the FIFA ASEAN Cup, believing that this is a great opportunity for the national team to win the Southeast Asian regional tournament. Because of the AFF Cup, the Indonesian team has not been able to call up its best naturalized players to compete, because the tournament is not included in FIFA Days.

Therefore, when the FIFA ASEAN Cup was born and was part of the FIFA international competition schedule, Indonesia was probably the happiest team in the region, because they could call up an extremely strong squad with a series of naturalized players of Dutch origin such as Jay Idzes (Sassuolo Club, Italy), Calvin Verdonk (Lille, France), Kevin Diks (Borussia Monchengladbach, Germany) and Emil Audero (Cremonese, Italy)...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/fifa-asean-cup-se-khai-tu-aff-cup-hay-ca-2-giai-cung-dien-ra-185251027082222714.htm