ASEAN Cup Diary - U23 Edition: A quick preview
Yes, it's another ASEAN Cup, but this time it's for the Under-23s, and you bet I will be there (virtually) no matter what!
Six months on from the conclusion of the ASEAN Cup, it is the return of the ASEAN Cup Diary! This time, however, I will be covering the U23 Championship that will kick off in a few days time, showcasing the best young talents that ASEAN countries currently have to offer. Once again, rivalries and pride will be on the line, but I also expect the competitive level of this year’s competition will be higher than ever, which I will explain why later.
Similar to my coverage of the first-team ASEAN Cup and the U20 Asian Cup earlier this year, I will be writing short scout reports about each match covering the tactical aspect of both teams and how the match play out. However, because the amount of matches that will be played in a day is significantly less than the first-team ASEAN Cup (only two matches will be played per day), I will squeeze in short, bite-size scout reports at the end of the match (if I have the energy to stay up late).
Ten teams will be competing in this year’s tournament, originally intended to be divided into three groups of four teams. But with two teams not participating, only group A will have four teams competing, while group B and C will have three teams, whom will all be playing in a round-robin style nonetheless. The top team from each group will qualify to the semi-final, with the best second-placed team completing the four-team roster that will battle each other out for a spot in the final.
This preview is somewhat inspired by the Shortlist from Scouted Football, who did two previews for the U21 and U19 Euros that just wrapped up earlier this summer. Before previewing the teams who will be participating, I will take a quick look at the two absentees and explain why they are not participating.
The absentees
While Australia have been a member of the ASEAN Football Federation since 2013, they have never sent their U23 mens team to participate in previous iteration of the competitions. With the U20’s recent achievement at the U20 Asian Cup and the rise in playing minutes for youngsters in the A-League Men, it is harder to make a case for them to participate since the difference in quality will automatically make them the favourite and might upset a few other ASEAN nations along the way. I do not expect to see them participating anytime soon, unless they are willing to send a B U23 team to the tournament, which still somewhat gives them an advantage considering the number of A-League youngsters who are not called up to any youth national teams yet.
The other, more surprising exclusion is Singapore, who also missed out on the 2023 edition. Singapore excluded themselves from the previous edition in order to evaluate their youth teams, and while no official reason for their exclusion this time around has been announced or covered by local newspapers (as far as I have searched), I can only assume that the federation are still in the process of evaluating their youth teams and reprioritising their targets for the 2025 SEA Games. The departure of their first team manager Tsutomu Ogura also threw a bit more uncertainty into their current situation, probably forcing the federation to see this tournament as a non-priority.
Note: I will not include preliminary lists and training camp squads for any team that have not announced their finalised squad. The squads that you will see below have been finalised and announced publicly.
Group A
Starting with group A, and it is the only group with four teams might turn out to be the group-to-watch with three strong teams competing for that top spot and, potentially, the best second-placed spot to advance to the semi-final.
🇮🇩 Indonesia
The host, Indonesia, have called up 28 players in preparation for the tournament. While they have not finalised their squad just yet, their 24-man list (shorten from 28) still gives me plenty of reasons to consider them the favourite to top the group. Firstly, a lot of players who are part of the current list have participated in the ASEAN Cup earlier this year, which means the dynamic between the players is still there and they have had some experiences playing against high-level oppositions. Secondly, even though they have only called up one abroad-based player in FC Dordrecht’s Jens Raven (Raven has secured a move to Bali United after I finished this article), there is still plenty of quality domestic players in the squad. Watch out for the centre-back duo Muhammad Ferarri and Kadek Arel as both have had plenty of experiences with the U23 and the first team. Defender Dony Tri Pamungkas will also be a name to watch after he captained the U20 side at the U20 Asian Cup earlier this year. In midfield, the name to watch is definitely Arkhan Fikri after he showed a glimpse of what he can do at the ASEAN Cup, and the duo Robi Darwis and Victor Dethan are two other names that should not be ignored. Up front, Raven will be leading the line as he did for the U20 team and will be among the conversation for the Golden Boot race if Indonesia can make the most of his ability. Hokky Caraka will be supporting Raven up front and will act as the more experienced attacker, having earned 11 first-team caps and 2 goals so far. It will be interesting to see whether Indonesia will retain the same system and tactic that this group played with at the last SEA Games when Shin Tae-yong was at the helm, or will they be inheriting the new playing style that Patrick Kluivert and the new Dutch-focused coaching staff is trying to build.
Note: As of me writing this, Indonesia’s squad below still has 24 players instead of the final 23, thus I still consider this squad to be ‘not finalised’. But as the host, Indonesia can leave their squad submission until the last minute as they do not need to travel, and they only need to eliminate one player to finalise the squad. That is why I have decided to include their squad here.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Cahya Supriadi (Bekasi City), Muhammad Ardiansyah (PSM Makassar), Erlangga Setyo (PSPS Pekanbaru), Daffa Fasya (Borneo Samarinda)
🧱 Defenders
Muhammad Ferrari (Bhayangkara), Kadek Arel (Bali United), Dony Tri Pamungkas (Persija Jakarta), Achmad Maulana, Brandon Scheunemann (Arema), Kakang Rudianto (Persib Bandung), Mikael Tata (Persebaya Surabaya), Alfharezzi Buffon (Borneo Samarinda)
⚙️ Midfielders
Arkhan Fikri (Arema), Robi Darwis (Persib Bandung), Rayhan Hannan (Persija Jakarta), Firman Juliansyah (Semen Padang), Victor Dethan (PSM Makassar), Dominikus Dion (PSS Sleman), Toni Firmansyah (Persebaya Surabaya)
⚡ Forwards
Hokky Caraka (PSS Sleman), Althaf Indie (Persis Solo), Yardan Yafi (Persita Tangerang), Rahmat Arjuna (Bali United), Jens Raven (Bali United)
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Malaysia have finalised their squad after shorten the list from a 30-man squad for a training camp in preparation for the tournament. The list is very Johor Darul Tazim and Selangor heavy, in contrary to their recent push for naturalisation in the first team. However, it is slightly too early to rule out that possibility since Malaysia can still announce a few late, unexpected call-ups like Finnish-born midfielder Nooa Laine, who is still in the age range for this tournament. The stars of the team are centre-back Ubaidullah Shamsul and striker Fergus Tierney, as Shamsul received his international debut not long ago against Cape Verde and Tierney was a mainstay for Malaysia at the last ASEAN Cup. A few members of this team also received a call-up for a first-team training camp before the Cape Verde match, including defenders Shafizan Arshad and Aiman Hakimi, midfielders Alif Ahmad and Muhammad Khalil. But it is among the attackers that most of their ones-to-watch can be found, including the 12-times-capped Haqimi Azim, and one-time-capped Alif Izwan. Malaysia’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-final will be on the shoulders of the aforementioned players as they try to challenge the host for the top spot.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Syahmi Adib Haikal (Negeri Sembilan), Zulhilmi Sharani, Haziq Aiman (Johor Darul Ta’zim II)
🧱 Defenders
Aiman Hakimi (Selangor), Aiman Yusuf (Mokhtar Dahari Academy), Arif Ilham (Kuala Lumpur City Extension), Ubaidullah Shamsul (Terengganu), Aliff Ahmad, Aysar Hadi, Faris Danish, Shafizan Arshad (Johor Darul Ta’zim II)
⚙️ Midfielders
Hayqal Danish (Selangor), Haziq Kutty Abba (Penang), Muhammad Abu Khalil (Angkor Tiger, Cambodia), Aiman Danish, Danish Hakimi, Danish Syamer, Ziad El Basheer (Johor Darul Ta’zim II)
⚡ Forwards
Haqimi Azim (Kuala Lumpur City), Fergus Tierney (Sabah), Aliff Izwan, Rahman Daud, Nabil Qayyum (Selangor)
🇵🇭 Philippines
Even though Australia will not be participating in the tournament, the Aussie influence can still be felt throughout, starting with the Philippines side that is currently managed by former Brisbane Roar Women’s manager Garrath McPherson. Unlike Indonesia and Malaysia, Philippines have announced their 24-man squad for the tournament and it is also slightly domestic-heavy with a few abroad-based players here and there. Also unlike the previous two teams, it is hard to pick out the star players in this team except for winger Javier Mariona, who was part of a young and exciting Philippines team that captured the hearts of many fans at the last ASEAN Cup. Also part of that team was striker Uriel Dalapo, who I expect will lead the line and compete with Dov Cariño for the starting spot up top. The most experienced players in the squad can be found at the back where Jaime Rosquillo and Kamil Amirul are expected to be the rocks in the Philippines’ defence. In midfield, look out for Jared Peña, who has earned two first-team caps and is part of the US-based contingency along with Mariona, forward Otu Banatao, and defender Noah Leddel. John Lucero and Gavin Muens are also two other midfielders to watch as they will bring experience and quality that they have gained from Brighton & Hove Albion and Seattle Sounders’ academies respectively. It is hard to see where this Philippines side will finish, but that is the fun when watching them because they can be an unexpected darkhorse like they did at the last ASEAN Cup.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Iñigo Castro (FC Odisea, Spain), Alfonso Gonzalez (University of the Philippines), Nicholas Guimarães (Juntendo University, Japan)
🧱 Defenders
Kamil Amirul, Jaime Rosquillo (Dynamic Herb Cebu), Jian Caraig, Cian Galsim, Joshua Meriño (University of the Philippines), Ziggy Taningco (Manila Digger), Bryan Villanueva (Far Eastern University), Noah Leddel (Yale University, USA)
⚙️ Midfielders
Edgar Aban Jr. (Far Eastern University), Jethro Flores (Ateneo de Manila University), John Lucero (Kanchanaburi Power, Thailand), Gavin Muens (Kaya-Iloilo), Harry Nuñez (Tuloy), Jared Peña (Western Reserve Academy, USA)
⚡ Forwards
Andres Aldeguer (One Taguig), Otu Banatao (Old Dominion University, USA), Dov Cariño (Ateneo de Manila University), Uriel Dalapo (De La Salle University), Theo Libarnes (Far Eastern University), Javier Mariona (AV Alta, USA)
🇧🇳 Brunei Darussalam
Last but not least, Brunei is unarguably the weakest team in this group and they are expected to finish dead last. As of me writing this article, they have not announced their squad for the tournament, or, at least, the squad is available to view on Wikipedia. Even worse, they seem to not have a manager as stated on Wikipedia, so there is a lot of uncertainty for them heading into this tournament. One thing that I can expect is their squad will be 100% domestic-based, but with the lack of information about these players, it is hard for me to make a judgement on whether they can cause any surprises or not.
My expectation for this group is Indonesia will come out on top, with Malaysia finishing close in second. I can see the Philippines creating a bit of surprises here and there, but with the lack of experienced players or players who can make a difference, I think they might have a tough time against Indonesia and Malaysia, though they will definitely get the three-point from Brunei.
Group B
The first of the two three-team groups that both seem to have the top spot locked in even before the tournament started. Though, I think group B might provide more surprises than group C will.
🇻🇳 Vietnam
Vietnam showed their intention to retain their title for the second time in a row by bringing a very strong squad that is filled with experienced, first-team-capped players. They have also brought a domestic-heavy squad, but the single naturalised player in Viktor Le will be one of the ones-to-watch, especially Viktor after he enjoyed a great season with Ha Tinh. However, it is slightly ashamed that Alex Bui did not make it through to the final squad for the tournament since this would have been a good opportunity to evaluate another naturalised player for the national team. But Vietnam are not short of domestic talents, the group that is headlined by midfielders Khuất Văn Khang, Nguyễn Văn Trường, Nguyễn Thái Sơn, and attackers Nguyễn Quốc Việt, Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn, Nguyễn Đình Bắc. All aforementioned players have received call-ups to the first-team since Philippe Troussier took over and into the new regime with manager Kim Sang-sik along with being a regular player at their respective club, which means they will bring a lot of quality to Vietnam’s attacks. In particular, the midfield trio above will be an exciting prospect to watch since Thái Sơn will provide a bit of defensive solidity and both Văn Khang and Văn Trường can act as playmakers to create chances for their teammates. The defence might be Vietnam’s weakest aspect, but that is compared to the quality of their midfield and attack. They also have a couple of talents to watch out for at the back, including Nguyễn Đức Anh and newly-first-team-capped centre-back Phạm Lý Đức.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Trần Trung Kiên (Hoàng Anh Gia Lai), Cao Văn Bình (Sông Lam Nghệ An), Nguyễn Tân (Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu)
🧱 Defenders
Lê Văn Hà (Hà Nội FC), Phạm Lý Đức (Hoàng Anh Gia Lai), Nguyễn Hiếu Minh (PVF-Công An Nhân Dân), Đặng Tuấn Phong (Thể Công-Viettel), Nguyễn Đức Anh (SHB Đà Nẵng), Võ Anh Quân (Phù Đổng Ninh Bình), Nguyễn Nhật Minh (Hải Phòng)
⚙️ Midfielders
Nguyễn Văn Trường (Hà Nội FC), Nguyễn Xuân Bắc (PVF-Công An Nhân Dân), Nguyễn Công Phương, Khuất Văn Khang, Nguyễn Thành Đạt (Thể Công-Viettel), Phạm Minh Phúc (Hà Nội Police), Nguyễn Thái Sơn (Đông Á Thanh Hóa), Nguyễn Phi Hoàng (SHB Đà Nẵng), Viktor Le (Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh)
⚡ Forwards
Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn (PVF-Công An Nhân Dân), Nguyễn Đình Bắc (Hà Nội Police), Nguyễn Quốc Việt (Phù Đổng Ninh Bình), Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ (Đông Á Thanh Hóa)
🇰🇭 Cambodia
Similar to Vietnam, Cambodia and manager Koji Gyotoku also announced a very domestic-heavy squad with Auckland United’s Lucca Lim the only foreign-based player. However, it is not because of the domestic-heavy factor that Cambodia can be underestimated because a few members of the announced squad have received first-team call-ups as recent as Cambodia’s match against Tajikistan in June. This includes goalkeeper Reth Lyheng, defenders Hout Vanneth, Leng Nora, Phat Sokha, and Im Vakhim, midfielders Chou Sinti and Sin Sovannmakara, and attackers Hav Soknet. This group of players will continue to be managed by Gyotoku as well, so the dynamic and familiarity to his tactics will continue to be there as they enter the tournament, and that might be Cambodia’s biggest advantage that they can hold onto on their push for the second-placed spot.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Reth Lyheng (Nagaworld), Mat Lany (Tiffy Army), Ron Chongmieng (Life Sihanoukville)
🧱 Defenders
Leng Nora (Visakha), Hout Vanneth, Phat Sokha (Nagaworld), Im Vakhim, Tum Makara (Angkor Tiger), Yang Phumin, Vorn Phalla (Tiffy Army), Vann Vit (Life Sihanoukville)
⚙️ Midfielders
Lucca Lim (Auckland United, New Zealand), Chou Sinti (PKR Svay Rieng), Sin Sovannmakara, Kong Lyhour (Visakha), Khorn Narong (Tiffy Army), Uk Devin (Life Sihanoukville)
⚡ Forwards
Hav Soknet, Sam Ol Tina, Soun Makara (ISI Dangkor Senchey), Mon Rado (Visakha), Chanvibol Davit (Angkor Tiger), Sou Menghong (Bati Academy)
🇱🇦 Laos
Meanwhile, Laos are the second out of the three teams who have not announced their squad at the time of writing. But manager Ha Hyeok-jun has called up a few players for a training camp ahead of the tournament, and that 14-man list shows a glimpse of the intention that Laos will enter this tournament with. In particular, a large proportion of that 14-man list consists of players who have played for the first team at the last ASEAN Cup, very similar to Indonesia’s approach. I have highlighted centre-back Phetdavanh Somsanith in my ASEAN Cup Team of the Group stage before, and he will continue to play a key part in Laos’ defence alongside two more first-team-capped defenders in Anantaza Siphongphan and Phoutthavong Sangvilay. The midfielders and attackers who received the call-up for the training camp were also in the same boat as they have all played fairly regularly for the first-team since the ASEAN Cup. Thanh Hoa’s midfielder Damoth Thongkhamsavath will be the one-to-watch in midfield having secured a move to Vietnam’s top division back in March, and his experience playing against a few familiar names of the Vietnam U23 side might be crucial for Laos. Up front, I expect Chony Wenpaserth and Peter Phanthavong to play an important part for Ha’s side as they will need to deliver the goals if Laos want to cause any surprises.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Kop Lokphathip (Ezra), Surisak Manpraseuth (Champasak), Surisak Suwankham (Chanthaburi)
🧱 Defenders
Anantasa Sipongphan, Khamprang Thapaseuth, Sayasuk Keowisone, Saleumxay Phommavong, Oun Phetvongsa, Ariyakorn Phongsavanh (Ezra), Phetdavanh Somsanith (Master7), Chittakorn Vannachan (Luang Prabang), Phouluang Winnavong (Champasak)
⚙️ Midfielders
Saynoth Keohanam, Chanthavisay Khunthumphone (Ezra), Khampan Duangwilay (Master7), Bounpheng Saysombath (Luang Prabang), Phuttachak Vongsiri (Chanthaburi), Damoth Thongkhamsavath (Thanh Hoa, Vietnam), Khonesavanh Keonchan (Rome City Institute, Italy)
⚡ Forwards
Pita Phantavong (Ezra), Phoumsomboun Panyavong (Raimi), Somvang Choummaly (Masada GB), Avilay Siphavan (PM Sekong)
While I still think Vietnam is the outright favourite to top group B, they might face a bit more problem than they might think. Laos and Cambodia have prepared and brought a lot of first-team experience with them to this tournament as they try to build towards the future of their national team. A lot of the aforementioned names will become household names for their respective nation in the years to come, and both teams will want to put on the best performance to showcase the talents that they have been preparing since even before the last ASEAN Cup and give others in the team a chance to prove themselves to their manager.
Group C
The last group of the tournament and the second group with only three teams competing. The overall feeling that I get from this group is there is a clear difference between the best team and the rest, which might make the clashes slightly less interesting to follow.
🇹🇭 Thailand
Probably one of the favourites to win the whole thing, Thailand have brought a strong team to compete as they try to live up to their fans’ expectations. A bit of managerial inconsistency happened that saw Japanese manager Takayuki Nishigaya got sacked not long before the tournament started, and he was replaced by domestic manager Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul, but they will try to avoid letting that disrupting the momentum of the team. As for the squad, all hopes will be on the shoulders of midfielder Seksan Ratree, who is probably the most experienced player in the squad with 10 first-team caps at the time of writing. Defender Chanapach Buaphan is another name to watch in this Thailand’s side as he will participate in his third ASEAN U23 Championship in a row, and his experience of finishing as runner-up in 2022 along with being voted in the Team of the Tournament in the same tournament will prove to be crucial. Other returnees include Buaphan’s teammate in the 2022 edition, midfielder Sittha Boonlha, and two members of the 2023 squad in attackers Phanthamit Praphanth and Yotsakorn Burapha. Even though this Thailand side have no particular star player to look towards, it will be wrong to underestimate what they can do since the quality will be evenly spreaded across the squad and a few unexpected names can pop up here and there.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Chommaphat Boonloet (Chonburi), Narongsak Naengwongsa (Nakhon Ratchasima), Sirassawut Wongruankhum (Chiangrai United)
🧱 Defenders
Phon-Ek Jensen (PT Prachuap), Pichitchai Sienkrthok, Saphon Noiwong (Police Tero), Pattarapon Suksakit (Sukhothai), Theekawin Chansri (Muangthong United), Kittiphat Kullapha (Rayong), Chanapach Buaphan (BG Pathum United)
⚙️ Midfielders
Seksan Ratree (Buriram United), Sittha Boonlha (Port), Siraphop Wandee (Chonburi), Songkhramsamut Namphueng (Police Tero), Chawanwit Sealao (Prime Bangkok), Chaiyaphon Otton (Sukhothai), Thanakrit Laorkai (Tiamo Hirakata, Japan, on loan from BG Pathum United)
⚡ Forwards
Phuwanet Thongkui (Thap Luang United), Thiraphat Puethong (BG Pathum United), Thanawut Phochai (Nongbua Pitchaya), Phanthamit Praphanth (PT Prachuap), Yotsakorn Burapha (Hougang United, Singapore)
🇲🇲 Myanmar
Myanmar are the third team who have not announced their squad for the tournament at the time of writing. However, they have maintained a squad for a continuous training camp throughout 2025 in preparation for this tournament and, possibly, the 2025 SEA Games. Just like the ASEAN Cup, I will not lie about the fact that I do not know that much about Myanmar football so I cannot point out anyone in particular that should be on the ones-to-watch list. But their domestic-heavy squad along with the year-round training camp should bring a tight-knit environment between the players and their dynamic and tactical understanding should be the key factors that Myanmar can count on.
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste
Lastly, Timor-Leste are also not expected to create any surprises during this tournament. But with a diaspora of dual nationals plying their trades in Europe and Australia, along with the already-first-team-capped players who are still in the age range for this tournament, Timor-Leste might cause a problem or two for Thailand and Myanmar. Manager Simón Elissetche will be on the sideline for this tournament as well, which means a lot of players who have been called up for this squad will also be playing in a similar tactical style that they are already used to in the first-team. And while they will be outclassed for most of the time, they have showed a bit of what they can do at the ASEAN Cup, which might happen again at this tournament if Timor-Leste get the chance to play at their strengths.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Pablo De Jesus (Ponta Leste), Filonito Nogueira (SLB Laulara), Egidio Luro (Emmanuel)
🧱 Defenders
Sandro Rivaldo, Mário Quintão (Emmanuel), Anizo Correia, Ricardo Bianco (Ponta Leste), Aidan da Costa (Trofense, Portugal), Liam Farrugia (Manningham United, Australia), Jackson Fowler (Sydney Olympic, Australia)
⚙️ Midfielders
Palomito Ribeiro, Freteliano (Emmanuel), Leonio Freitas, Luís Figo (Ponta Leste), Serafin da Costa (DIT), Oatnasio da Silva (Loughgall, Northern Ireland), Jorge Casimiro (Caboolture Sports, Australia), Zenivio (Tanjong Pagar, Singapore)
⚡ Forwards
Olagar Xavier (Karketu Dili), Alexandro Bakhito, Vabio Canavaro (SLB Laulara), Nicholas Fowler (Sydney Olympic, Australia), Kenny Ximenes (Dollingstown, Northern Ireland)
While I understand that most people do not care about ASEAN football or tournaments in particular, and Asian football in general, I want to cover these tournaments as a break from the traditional coverage of European football. I have said this many times, and I cannot stress this enough again, there is already so much news and coverage of European teams, matches and players that sometimes it feels a bit too tiring to follow, and I do not think I can bring anything new to the table in regards to that.
The main reason why I revive this blog once more is to showcase that there is a ton of football being played outside of the top European leagues, particularly in Asia because I am from that region. Yes, the quality and the level is nowhere close and you will be disappointed more often. But lower your expectations a bit and you might find yourselves enjoying these tournaments more while also finding a few promising youngsters along the way. This is not me diverting my attention away from European football, however, I will continue to write articles about under-the-radar signings until the summer window closes and then analysing matches here and there. This is just me bringing something new to refresh your taste during a summer that the Club World Cup and the Euros have taken over. And if you don’t like reading about these tournaments, that’s okay and you can look forward to other articles from me!