Third edition of Asean Club Championship set to finally kick off in 2024

SINGAPORE – South-east Asia’s top football clubs are set to duke it out when the Asean Club Championship (ACC) returns in 2024.

The Straits Times understands the competition will be in the 2024-25 season, with the qualifying round taking place in July 2024, followed by the group stage from August 2024 to February 2025. The semi-finals and final are expected to take place in April and May 2025 respectively.

Sources said the Asean Football Federation (AFF) has approached its member associations within the region with some details. Some possibilities include two representatives for nations with bigger leagues such as Thai League 1 and Indonesia’s Liga 1, while smaller leagues like the Singapore Premier League could feature one.

However, it is unclear if every league’s champions, who have already qualified for various Asian Football Confederation (AFC) club competitions, will be involved. It is understood that more details will be announced in the first quarter of 2024.

Lion City Sailors captain Hariss Harun is excited about the prospect of playing against some of the best teams in the region, but hopes to see more clarity about the scheduling.

The Sailors could face a fixture crunch as the next domestic league and cup season is set to be closer in line with the European club football calendar and run from May 2024 to May 2025. They will also be playing in the revamped AFC Champions League 2 that runs from September 2024 to May 2025.

Said Hariss: “It will be interesting and competitive if the top Asean teams take part. As we have seen in the AFC Champions League results, the top teams in the region, including the Sailors, have shown that we can compete against the top teams in Asia.

“It is always good to be playing high quality matches to see where we are at. At the same time, while we want to do well in every competition we are part of, it is not easy to play many high intensity matches in quick succession, taking into account the travelling as well.

“So it would be good if the scheduling takes this into consideration.”

Sanctioned by AFF and backed by world governing body Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation, the ACC is marketed by Sportfive, which has the media rights to the AFF Championship. It was supposed to be held in 2020 but was held back by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was reported then that commercial partners had already been secured and the total prize money would be more than US$1 million (S$1.32 million). Each club was to receive a participation fee, as well as escalating prize money as they progressed through the tournament.

AFF president Khiev Sameth said then that there would be “no conflict in scheduling with the domestic leagues, Fifa and AFC fixtures, including that of the expanded AFC Champions League”.

The Cambodian felt that the introduction of the ACC would raise the standard of the national teams and enhance the profiles of the clubs, as well as leagues, in the region.

He added: “The ACC will also help clubs improve their financial standing, promote sports tourism and enhance the football experience of the 650 million football supporters in our region.”

The first iteration of the ACC was held in 2003 with 11 teams, and won by Indian invitees East Bengal. Two years later, Singapore’s Tampines Rovers beat Pahang of Malaysia 4-2 in the final to win the second edition, which featured champions from eight South-east Asian leagues.