AFF Under-23 Youth Championship set to kick off in Phnom Penh
The ASEAN Football Federation – AFF Under 23 Youth Championship is set to kick off in Phnom Penh on February 14th and being Valentines Day will likely create a few football widows in its wake. This is the latest in a number of significant international events to be hosted in Cambodia, the most recent being the ASEAN Tourism Forum.
To read about ATF 2022 click here
What is the AFF Under 23 Youth Championship?
The AFF U-23 Youth Championship is an international football competition contested by the national under-23 teams of member nations of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). The first edition was held in 2005.
The AFF in essence runs independently of FIFA. Its governing body is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Since the inauguration of the competition in 2005 it has only been completed twice. The last one, held in 2022, marked the third edition. Previous winners were Thailand in 2005 and Indonesia in 2019.
What is the format of the AFF Under 23 Youth Championship?
The competition will feature two groups of four and one group of three. The mathematically minded among you will realise that makes a total of 11 teams. That is because Timor-Leste will also be allowed to take part in the competition as members of the AFF, if not yet as a successful, but aspiring ASEAN applicant.
To read our interview with Timor-Leste’s ambassador click here.
The winners of the four groups will go on to the semi-finals, with the best second placed team moving on as the “wild-card”. The games will then be straight knock-out until we have a winner.
Do Cambodia stand any chance of winning?
With incredibly strong teams like Thailand and Indonesia taking part, the chances of Cambodia taking home gold is fairly slim. That said? they did manage an impressive 4th place in 2019. Granted this was after a 5-0 loss to Thailand in the semi’s, followed by a narrow 1-0 loss to arch-rivals Vietnam in the 3rd place play-off.
Their group this year consists of minnows East Timor and Brunei. The Cambodian side’s main competition will come from a relatively strong Philippines team.
When and where can I see the 2022 AFF Under 23 Youth Championship?
The games will be held from February 14th-26th at the new $1.1 billion Morodok Techo National Stadium, with ticket prices expected to be in the $3-5 range.
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Author: Leon Havana
A trained chef and sports aficionado with extensive experience across South America and Asia. Leon’s culinary creations celebrate local flavors, while his love for sports like football and boxing connects him with local communities.
