Lions get tough 2026 Asean Championship draw, defending champions Vietnam on the cards

JAKARTA – The familiar faces flashing across the giant screen at Studio RCTI+ in Jakarta on Jan 15 evoked memories of Singapore’s heyday, when the Lions were among the big guns of the Asean Football Championship.

During the draw for the 2026 edition of the tournament, now known as the Asean Hyundai Cup, Singapore, champions in 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012, featured prominently in the highlight reels to celebrate the 30 years of the event since its inception in 1996.

But the Lions were conspicuously missing from the six finals since their last triumph, and now a stiff test awaits them in their bid to end the title drought at the July 24-Aug 26 event.

Singapore, under newly minted head coach Gavin Lee, will have defending champions Vietnam, powerhouses Indonesia, Cambodia and either Timor-Leste or Brunei, who will contest a two-legged qualifying play-off, for company in Group A.

Record seven-time champions Thailand were drawn with Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos in Group B.

Still, a smiling Lee is facing the tough challenge with gusto, telling the assembled media in Jakarta: “There won’t be any easy games but we’re looking forward to the challenge, and the homework starts now.

“There are some exciting games. It is not going to be easy but that is something we already expected before the draw. There are no easy groups and we relish the challenge.”

The 35-year-old and his assistant coach, former Lions midfielder Mustafic Fahrudin, were among the more than 300 guests who attended the draw, which also featured vibrant dance performances and a spectacular LED display at the tournament’s official broadcast partner MNC’s studio.

In light of a border row between the Cambodia and Thailand, a procedural measure was implemented to ensure that both countries would not be drawn into the same group.

With Indonesia and Vietnam having already been drawn into Group A, there was audible gasps of excitement from the guests, which included Erick Thohir, the Football Association of Indonesia president, who is also the Minister of Youth and Sports, and Major General Khiev Sameth, president of the Asean Football Federation, when Singapore was added to the mix.

Perhaps it was the clearest sign that this was the tougher of the two groups, but it will have also rekindled memories of the pulsating 2021 semi-final, second-leg clash between the Lions and Indonesia at the National Stadium where the hosts – who were reduced to eight men – suffered heartbreak in extra time in the 4-2 loss to go out 5-3 on aggregate.

The full match schedule of the 16th edition of the biennial event, including venues and kick-off times, will be announced on Jan 16. The round-robin group stage will see teams play their rivals once, home or away, from July 24 to Aug 8. The two-legged semi-finals and final start on Aug 15 and conclude on Aug 26.

For Lee, the tournament will mark his first major assignment in the hot seat, after leading Singapore to 2027 Asian Cup qualification as interim coach following a 2-1 away win over Hong Kong in November.

After a global hunt for the next Lions coach, the Football Association of Singapore handed the reins to Lee later that month, which many viewed as just reward for guiding Singapore to the continental showpiece on merit for the first time.

Lee, known for his meticulous preparation for matches, has some experience of coaching at the Asean tournament – he was assistant to then national coach Tsutomu Ogura when Singapore were beaten in the semi-finals by eventual champions Vietnam in 2024.

He said: “As part of the preparation for the Asian Cup, we want to be pushed, tested and put in uncomfortable situations, and we have got that with this group.

“For us, this is a good challenge that we are looking forward to. But we will take it one game at a time. For now, the focus is on the upcoming March window.”

Lee’s first match as permanent Lions coach will come during the March 23-31 international window.

The Lions face Bangladesh on March 31 at home in their final Asian Cup qualifier but are expected to play an international friendly before that.

Lee is not the only coach who will be making his Asean Championship debut.

John Herdman, who was appointed Indonesia coach on Jan 3, Thailand’s Anthony Hudson and Malaysia’s Peter Cklamovski are new at the helm of their respective teams.

Herdman, a 50-year-old Englishman, said he was looking forward to the tournament. The Tim Garuda side he inherits were in contention to reach the 2026 World Cup, having reached the fourth round of Asian World Cup qualifiers.

He added: “I haven’t had a great amount of time to assess our opponents yet. I’ll be doing that as soon as I get out of this room.

“I think it’s a level playing field. So the best coaches will get the best out of their players, and the players that are most motivated to represent their country will win.”