JAKARTA: Hosts Indonesia will take on Singapore after Malaysia play guest side Bangladesh when the inaugural FIFA Asean Cup's Premier Division kicks off in Jakarta on September 25, the global soccer body said on Thursday.
The new 14-team competition, featuring 11 Asean countries along with Bangladesh, Pakistan and Hong Kong as guest teams, is split into two divisions. The six-team lower tier is called the Challenge Division and will start on September 24, with hosts Hong Kong playing Brunei.
India and China were originally invited to participate, but they pulled out. Media reports said India proposed sending an alternative squad to the tournament while their first team played Brazil in a high-profile friendly on October 3, the same day as the ASEAN Cup final, but FIFA did not agree.
The eight-team Premier Division has two groups, with Asean Championship finalists Thailand and Vietnam placed in Group B along with the Philippines and Pakistan.
Vietnam, who won the Asean Championship last month, will start their campaign against the Philippines in Bandung on September 26.
"The FIFA Asean Cup was launched to provide national teams with meaningful competitive opportunities within the men’s international match calendar," FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. - Reuters
