Press Releases ● Aug 05, 2014
AFF Suzuki Cup Draw: Singapore To Play Malaysia, Thailand
HANOI, VIETNAM, 5 AUGUST 2014: The draw for the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2014 competition was conducted today in Hanoi, with Singapore set to face Malaysia and Thailand in Group B.
“Our preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup, such as our training tour to Austria, have gone well. The players know what I expect of them, they are getting more familiar with the style of football I want them to display, and we are slowly getting there. This team is made up of young players who are all hungry for success and are proud to represent the country,” said Head Coach, National Teams, Bernd Stange.
“I have only been in Singapore for a short time, but I understand the cultural significance of drawing Malaysia in the same group. The match against them will be very special because the two countries share a unique bond and a traditional footballing rivalry that is intense and very passionate.
“We have an interesting footballing history with Thailand as we played them in the previous final and there were many exciting games between the two nations in the past. I am sure the players will be extra motivated for both games. Having said that, we hope the fans will pack the stadium and cheer the team on for the entire tournament. There are no easy teams in South-east Asia, so they can rest assured that we will be working closely with the relevant authorities and stakeholders to ensure that we have all our best players available to defend the title, and that I will be picking the strongest team available to me for every match,” he affirmed.
“Everyone in Singapore is looking forward to the AFF Cup and we are now another step closer to the tournament following the cup draw,” said Zainudin Nordin, President, Football Association of Singapore.
“It has been important for us to place great emphasis on producing and developing young players in the past few years, and we are beginning to see the fruits of our labours. It is good to see many National Football Academy graduates in the National Team now; in fact, we even have players who have played in the Lion City Cup in past years who will represent the country in the AFF Suzuki Cup now.
“All of our players are keen to give of their best in the competition on home ground, and we hope our fans will pack the terraces to cheer us on and give us the extra boost,” he concluded.
The competition, whose group stages will be co-hosted by Singapore and Vietnam, will run from 22 November to 20 December. A total of eight countries – split into two groups of four each – will participate, with the top two teams from each group then proceeding to the semi-finals and final.
Details of the match fixtures will be released at a later time.
AFF Suzuki Cup 2014 Groupings
Group A
Vietnam
Philippines
Indonesia
Qualifying Round Runners-up
Group B
Singapore
Malaysia
Thailand
Qualifying Round Winner
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FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
