Vũ Văn Thanh's equaliser against Thailand in the 2022 Final first-leg was the last bittersweet memory for Việt Nam at the AFF Cup. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết

Anh Đức

The 2024 ASEAN Championship kicked off on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in its third renaming of the competition, marking a new era in the region's football landscape.

The competition, which has a 28-year legacy, was originally named Tiger Cup after its sponsor, then changed to AFF Championship/AFF Cup since 2007, and is finally now known as ASEAN Championship from this edition onwards.

And for every name change, new advancements would come into play for the local game and a new empire would rise up.

In its inaugural years, Thailand emerged as the team to beat throughout the late 90s and early 2000s, with three trophies in four tournaments. Singapore later equalised with a double in 2004 and 2007.

In the second edition after the first name change, Việt Nam made their first mark on an international stage with the miraculous 2008 victory in the Mỹ Đình Stadium, Hà Nội. The title changed hands twice in the next two editions with Malaysia getting their first trophy and Singapore returning to glory in 2012.

With a second golden generation of players, Thailand returned to the throne and dominated the competition with four trophies in five years and Việt Nam getting their second gold in 2018 in a victory that jubilates the entire nation.

Now in a new name, a new era, the landscape of ASEAN football has also changed greatly.

Thailand are still the dominant force in regional football, with a sustainable local football league system that creates talented players. The Thai League has become the model that every league in the region is looking up to, with the national team's strength profiting from it the most.

The fact that as the Thai Leagues are still playing at the same time as the ASEAN Championship, is not a disrespect to the regional tournament, but rather, a proof of the Thai football system's strength. Even without big-name players such as Chanathip Songkrasin, the War Elephants can still bring an extremely competitive squad to the table.

Malaysia and Singapore have been in a decline since their peaks in the mid-2010s. The neighbouring nations faced tough problems in transitioning from an older set of players into the younger generations and the fruits of success remain to be seen.

Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia are names that were never regarded as contenders in the larger part of the tournament's history. However, a new wave of naturalisation and expat players that is sweeping across the region might shed light onto these teams, with Indonesia front of the pack.

The Garudas had a wonderful 2024, with one SEA Games medal, a greater-than-expected Asian Cup campaign and a great momentum in the World Cup qualifiers. To win the ASEAN Championship for the first time would be the cherry on the top for coach Shin Tae-yong's men.

Notably, this is also the first edition that VAR will be used in all matches of the tournament. The use is expected to bring transparency and fairness in a region where controversies were still a prominent problem.

And all of the above, are the external hurdles that Việt Nam faces during this year's tournament, not to mention the internal hurdle of a dismal form in the past few international games.

Việt Nam's position now is similar to Thailand's during their 2018-2020 drought, where success is expected in a group of experienced players. The Thais returned after that hiccup to dominate the region for two straight seasons.

Can the Golden Star Warriors repeat history to find glory, or will a new king will sit on the throne of ASEAN football? — VNS