Photo caption: Philippine men’s national football team players. | PFF photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine men’s national football team’s group in the upcoming ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2024 has been officially determined.
During the official draw on Tuesday, May 21, in Hanoi, Vietnam it was determined that the PMNFT will play under Group B with familiar foes that they will be facing later this year.
The Philippines is grouped with powerhouses like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar, and Laos.
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They will face Indonesia, a semifinalist in the 2022 edition and runners-up in the 2020 edition. Also, the PMNFT will play against Vietnam, a runner-up in 2022 and a 2020 semifinalists.
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The Philippines only lasted in the group stage in the tournament’s two previous stagings.
Group A
Meanwhile, Group A is comprised of the defending champions—Thailand along with Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and the winning team between Timor-Leste and Brunei Darussalam.
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“Even if they have always been tough opponents in ASEAN, our familiarity with the recent Vietnamese and Indonesian squads is beneficial for our team,” said Philippine Football Federation Director of National Team Freddy Gonzalez in a statement.
“Thanks to PFF President John Gutierrez’s dynamic leadership and the acumen of head coach Tom Saintfiet, football director Vince Santos, and technical director Pep Ferre, we are steering a steadier PMNFT ship. Expect a better team in the second FIFA WCQ fixtures against our AFF group mates as these will be our stepping stone for a legit championship run in the ASEAN Championship come November.”