The new era of ASEAN’s biggest football tournament, the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, is upon us.

Scheduled to take place this December, the 14th edition of the tournament promises to be a “bigger, better and bolder” one, with a new title sponsor, Mitsubishi Electric, on board and a welcome return to the full home-and-away tournament format.

With the Official Draw for this year’s tournament approaching, the teams will soon find out what their path to be the “Kings of ASEAN football” is set to look like.

Here is a quick rundown of the Official Draw for this year’s competition:

New name, new beginnings

This year’s AFF Championship, the 14th edition of the biennial competition, is officially called the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022, after the global leading integrated electronics and electrical equipment manufacturing company Mitsubishi Electric Corporation took over the reins as the title sponsor.

In line with their slogan “Together, we can build better”, Mitsubishi Electric is working closely with AFF to bring the competition to the next level – one that will bring more excitement, special moments and incredible experiences to the millions of ASEAN football fans around the region.

“This landmark partnership will herald in a new era for the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup and I have great optimism that we can propel the tournament to new heights and further lift football in the region together” - AFF President, Major General Khiev Sameth

In addition to a change in its name, the event will also sport a fresh new look and enhanced visuals, which fans can look forward to on the AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup social media channels leading up to the tournament.

Even as the tournament enters a new era, there’s one thing that will continue to stay the same – and that is the rivalry, emotion and passion which have become synonymous with the footballing event that has gripped South East Asia for more than two decades.

When and where is the Official Draw?

AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 – Official Draw
Tuesday, 30 August, 15:00 MYT (GMT +8)

The Official Draw is all set to raise the curtain on this year’s AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup! Held in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand and home of the defending champions, the teams competing will soon find out their opponents for the Group Stage. Representatives from the AFF Council, Member Associations and some of the participating teams will be in attendance to witness the draw.

The nine nations qualified for the competition are Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The tenth slot will be contested by Brunei Darussalam and Timor-Leste in the Qualification Round playoff matches.

The proceedings will consist of the draw for the Qualification Round to determine the home and away teams for the two-legged playoff matches, as well as the Final Rounds draw in which the 10 teams will be sorted into two groups of five and each team will play four matches during the Group Stage.

How can fans watch the Official Draw?

Fans can tune in to the Official Draw here on the official website or social media platforms. The live coverage starts at 15:00 MYT (GMT +8), as well as on various channels and platforms by official media partners.

AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 platforms:

Official Media Partners & Broadcasters:

  • Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Myanmar – FPT Play
  • Indonesia, Philippines, Timor-Leste – MNC Media
  • South Korea – SBS Sports

What to look out for this year?

The AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 will see a return to the full home and away format. First introduced in the 2018 edition, each team will be playing two matches on home soil in the Group Stage, setting us up for a more competitive tournament and giving fans more opportunities to be part of the unique match experience live in their home stadiums. Who could forget the scenes at the first leg of 2018’s final between Malaysia and Vietnam, which had a record 88,000 fans in attendance at the National Stadium Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur?

Thailand clinched their record-extending sixth AFF Championship title in emphatic fashion in the 2020 edition last year. Played in host city Singapore, the two legged-final saw the Thais overcome Indonesia with an aggregate score of 6-2 to lift the trophy. Following an unbeaten campaign and a whopping 18 goals scored, the War Elephants will enter this year’s tournament as one of the favourites again.

Fierce rivals Vietnam will also be in the running and the Thailand-Vietnam rivalry promises to intrigue; matches between the two national teams have always been highly anticipated. Last December, Thailand ousted their rivals with a 2-0 aggregate victory in the semi-final of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020. Then in May 2022, the two-time champions Vietnam celebrated a SEA Games gold medal after defeating the Thais 1-0 in the final. The AFF Mitsubishi Electric Cup 2022 will surely ignite yet another intense battle between Thailand and Vietnam.

Indonesia, whose youthful and talented squad with an average age of just 23 finished as surprise runners-up in the 2020 edition, will be another one to watch. The Garuda had a hugely promising showing last year, and with the core team having gained more experience, South Korean head coach Shin Tae-yong will look to continue unlocking the team’s potential and lead the title charge again come December. Could Indonesia go all the way to win their maiden AFF Championship title?

Buoyed by home fans support this year, the stage is also set for a dark horse to spring a surprise and pose a serious challenge this time round. After all, this is a competition that has provided a fair share of drama and thrills over its 26-year history and in the last edition, we witnessed arguably one of the most dramatic matches of all time – the Indonesia - Singapore Semi-Final Leg 2.

A closely fought affair in the first leg finished 1-1, but the return leg played on Christmas Day was a pulsating one for both die-hard supporters and neutrals, with six goals, three red cards and a missed penalty in injury time to see the game end 4-2 on the night. It might have ended in heartbreak for Singapore, but nonetheless this was their first time reaching the final four in nine years, encouraging signs that the team is on the right track. New head coach Takayuki Nishigaya has now taken over the reins and should the Lions put forth yet another valiant and gritty performance, their search for their first AFF Championship title since 2012 may just have a fairytale ending next January.

Whatever happens in the draw, we are in for some gripping matchups in the Group Stage and an intriguing tournament ahead! The excitement starts now!