The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has awarded hosting rights for the postponed 2020 Suzuki Cup to Singapore, with the national team tournament set to take place in a centralised venue for the first time.
This decision has been taken, instead of the usual home and away format, with COVID-19 in mind. The tournament, which involves 10 teams from Southeast Asia, was originally due to run from November 23 to December 31 last year, but will now take place in Singapore from December 5 to January 1, 2022.
The AFF said there will be no change to the main competition format – with each team playing four fixtures in a round robin system at the group stage, and the semi-finals and finals played in a two-leg format.
After the draw, which took place last week, reigning champions Vietnam will meet 2018 Suzuki Cup finalist Malaysia, as well as Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos in Group B to kick-off the defence of its title. In Group A, four times Suzuki Cup champion Singapore will face five-time winner Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar and the winner of the qualification round between Brunei and Timor Leste to advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.
AFF president, Major General Khiev Sameth, said: “We received many compelling bids from our member associations and the AFF Council has had a difficult decision to choose between them.
“With our overriding priority being the health and safety of everyone involved, in the end this was the deciding factor when assessing the bids. We are very grateful for all the member associations who stepped forward to offer to host the tournament in these challenging times – it truly displayed the ASEAN spirit of strength and determination in the face of adversity.
“Now, with this decision made, we can focus our efforts on working with the Football Association of Singapore to ensure that the event is staged safely and securely and also that it brings to life the joy of football and the passion of the ASEAN fans. We look forward to bringing the crown jewel of ASEAN football to all our fans around the region.”
Lim Kia Tong, president of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), added: “There was another worthy hosting proposal from our fellow AFF member association, Thailand. They gave us a strong fight for the bid.
“We are undoubtedly thankful for this golden opportunity and the trust placed in us by AFF. The hard work starts from now and we will do everything in our power, working closely with AFF as well as with the Singapore government, which is unflinching in their support for the bid, and other authorities to ensure a safe and secure event for all the participants, officials and the ASEAN football fans.”
Singapore has hosted the Suzuki Cup on four previous occasions. The Straits Times newspaper said Group A games are likely to be played at the 55,000-capacity National Stadium (pictured) at Singapore Sports Hub, with Group B matches at Jalan Besar Stadium.
The AFF is not said to have made fan attendance a requirement, but it is believed it will be permitted at capped levels. Singapore Premier League matches have recently allowed 1,000 spectators at stadiums that can hold between 3,800 and 6,000 fans.
The Straits Times said organisers are hoping to work with authorities to allow between 5,000 and 10,000 fans for Group A games.
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