>>> AFF Cup 2020 set to take place this December, draw slated for August 10
Singapore is currently tightening its pandemic prevention and control measures, resulting in the postponement of many events to ensure safety, with the AFF Cup 2020 draw being named among them.
The new date for the Official Draw will be announced in due course, the federation stated.
“Singapore has done an excellent job in managing the ongoing pandemic. We understand that the restrictions are in place to keep the Singapore community safe, and this is of utmost importance. In line with this, we have made the considered decision to delay the Official Draw,” AFF President Khiev Sameth shared in an AFF release on August 5.
“We are confident that the measures put in place by Singapore will enable us to stage the draw with more of our stakeholders involved at a later date. Moving forward, we will continue to monitor the evolving pandemic and take the necessary actions in the interest of all our stakeholders,” he said.
The rescheduling of the AFF Cup draw has triggered concern that the regional championship is at risk of being cancelled amidst the complicated COVID-19 pandemic in some Southeast Asian countries, especially Indonesia.
The tournament was originally scheduled to run from November 23 to December 31, 2020, but has been rescheduled at least twice due to the pandemic - first postponed to mid-April 2021 and later being pushed back further to December.
The AFF has decided seeding pots for the Official Draw, with Pot 1 featuring reigning title holders Vietnam and 2016 champions Thailand. 2018 runners-up Malaysia join Indonesia in Pot 2, while the Philippines and Myanmar make up Pot 3. Pot 4 consists of Singapore and Cambodia, with the last pot featuring Laos and Timor Leste or Brunei.
Three years ago, coach Park Hang-seo’s Vietnamese side outplayed Malaysia with an aggregate score of 3-2 in the final match to take the overall AFF Cup trophy for the second time in history.
The Golden Star Warriors are currently training at the Youth Football Training Centre in Hanoi to prepare for their first matches in the final round of the 2022 World Cup Asian Qualifiers next month.
