Originally set to kick off on November 23, the tournament will now start on December 9, affecting the team's training and match schedules.

The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has decided to reschedule the AFF Cup 2024, officially known as the ASEAN Championship, prompting the Vietnam national team to revise its preparation plans.

Initially, the AFF Cup 2024 was set to commence on November 23. However, the AFF has announced a change, with the tournament now scheduled to begin on December 9, 2024, and conclude on January 5, 2025. This shift moves the original dates of November 23 to December 21, 2024.

The reason for this change is to avoid overlapping with the AFC Champions League Elite and AFC Champions League 2 schedules. The group stage of the AFC Champions League Elite takes place from November 4 to December 4. Meanwhile, most Southeast Asian nations have representatives competing in the AFC Champions League 2.

With the AFF adjusting the AFF Cup 2024 schedule, the Vietnam national team's plans need re-evaluation. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) initially planned to pause the V-League 2024/25 from November 11 to December 21 to accommodate the national team's participation in the AFF Cup.

However, with the tournament's new dates, it is likely that Vietnam will forego a national team training camp during the FIFA international window in November, allowing the V-League 2024/25 to continue during that period. The Vietnam team is expected to assemble starting November 21, giving them approximately two weeks to prepare for the AFF Cup 2024.

According to the AFF Cup 2024 draw, Vietnam is in the same group as Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos. Head Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team aim to clinch the championship title.

Dai Nam