After a 20-year hiatus, the ASEAN Club Championship returns in 2024-25 -- with action kicking off on Wednesday.
12 teams from all over Southeast Asia will battle it out across two groups, with the top two in each advancing to the semifinals before the decider takes place across two legs next May.
Here, we take a look at each of the teams that will be competing in the tournament.
GROUP A
BG Pathum United
Previously known as Bangkok Glass, where they largely belonged to the upper echelon of Thai football without ever reaching the summit, the club underwent a transformation following a shock relegation at the end of 2019.
In their new guise as BG Pathum United, they would remarkably claim a maiden Thai League 1 crown in their first year back in the top flight and have since solidified their status as domestic powerhouses, while also making waves on the continental stage as they reached the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League in back-to-back editions between 2021 to 2023.
Qualifying for the ASEAN Club Championship after winning the Thai League Cup last season, BGPU boast some of Thailand's stellar names from the past decade - including talismanic playmaker Chanathip Songkrasin, prolific veteran striker Teerasil Dangda and the ever-improving Kritsada Kaman.
Dong A Thanh Hoa
Although not one of Vietnamese football's main heavyweights, Dong A Thanh Hoa have finished in the V.League 1's top three on four occasions since 2018.
It is in cup competitions where they have enjoyed more success after claiming the last two Vietnamese National Cups on offer.
While they did not provide any members of the most-recent Vietnam squad, they do have several handy contributors such as Le Van Thang, Nguyen Thai Son and Lam Ti Phong, while their foreign contigent boasts a distinct Brazilian flavour along with Jamaican forward Rimario Gordon -- who has scored goals for fun since beginning his professional career in the V.League 1 back in 2018.
Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng
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| Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng ensured Cambodia will be represented in the 2024-25 ASEAN Club Championship after beating Brunei Darussalam's Kasuka to book their place in Group A. SPORTFIVE |
As one of two teams that had to progress through the qualifying playoffs, Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng might be regarded as underdogs but opponents should take them lightly at their own peril.
The most recent champions of the Cambodian Premier League, Svay Rieng can call upon a whole host of seasoned Cambodia internationals such as Thierry Chantha Bin, Soeuy Visal and Sareth Krya.
While it may have come against lesser opposition, Svay Rieng also displayed their attacking threat when they put eight goals past Young Elephants of Laos over two legs in the qualifiers.
PSM Makassar
No strangers to international competition, PSM Makassar can consider themselves as veterans of the now-defunct AFC Cup -- formerly the second tier of Asian club competition -- with four appearances since 2019, with their best display coming in 2022 when they made it to the ASEAN Zone final.
On the domestic front, PSM last won Liga 1 in 2022-23, which was what secured their qualification for the ASEAN Club Championship.
The Indonesian outfit have lost several prominent players since then, including Yakob Sayuri, Wiljan Pluim and Ramadhan Sananta but still have an experienced squad that should fuel them with optimism that they can go far in the tournament.
Shan United
The second qualifier from the playoffs, Myanmar's Shan United sealed their place in the group stage following a 4-2 victory over Bruneian side Kasuka.
Although the level of Burmese football has is no longer at its peak in the mid 2010s, Shan United have had regular exposure in the AFC Cup with four consecutive appearances starting from 2018, as well as at the last edition.
Considering they are likely to come under siege against more-illustrious opposition, the likes of goalkeeper Kyaw Zin Phyo and defender Ye Min Thu -- both seasoned Myanmar internationals -- could be pivotal to their prospects.
Terengganu
While Terengganu have never been champions of Malaysia, they do regularly find themselves thereabouts and have achieved runners-up finishes on four occasions -- as recently as in 2022.
With Johor Darul Ta'zim -- champions of both the Malaysia Cup and FA Cup last season -- declining to participate, Terengganu will be one of two teams flying the flag for their country by virtue of being runners-up in the former.
The Turtles have made a decent start to the current Malaysia Super League campaign and boast considerable firepower in Malaysia internationals Safawi Rasid and Akhyar Rashid, who are both currently on loan from JDT.
GROUP B
Borneo Samarinda
Borneo Samarinda suffered heartbreak last season when, after being the dominant force throughout the regular Liga 1 campaign, they would ultimately come up short after falling to a surprise semifinal defeat to Madura United in the championship series.
Borneo have undergone significant changes since then with last season's top scorer Felipe Cadenazzi among the departures, but names such as Stefano Lilipaly, Terens Puhiri and Ikhsan Zirkak should still see them pose a threat.
The ASEAN Club Championship marks Borneo's first foray in international competition, having never qualified for any AFC tournaments previously.
Buriram United
The dominant force in Thai football for the past three seasons, Buriram United can lay claim to being one of Southeast Asia's most successful clubs.
Along with their ten domestic league crowns, the Thunder Castle have twice in their history reached the knockout round of the AFC Champions League and came close to doing so again last term -- proving their ability to match it with the continent's leading teams.
Despite some of their brightest stars leaving for greener pastures in recent times, Buriram will still be led by Thailand forward Supachai Jaided -- who has been the top scorer in the past two Thai League 1 campaigns with a combined 40 goals.
Cong An Ha Noi
In their first season back in the top flight, Cong An Ha Noi would make a stunning rise to become champions of V.League 1 in 2023.
Affiliated with the Hanoi police department, CAHN wasted no time in luring some of the nation's biggest names to Hang Day Stadium -- with their biggest capture coming in the form of Vietnam star Nguyen Quang Hai following a stint in Ligue 2 with Pau.
While their main priority in 2024-25 will be to regain the title they lost to Thep Xanh Nam Dinh last term, the ASEAN Club Championship also offers a legitimate chance for them to claim more silverware and enhance their burgeoning reputation.
Kaya FC-Iloilo
Now three-time champions of the Philippines Football League, Kaya FC-Iloilo have established themselves as their country's powerhouses after years of Ceres-Negros (now United City) dominance.
Kaya have experienced crucial exposure in the AFC Champions League over the past few seasons and, while they have been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats, there have also been some valiant displays against far more formidable opposition.
Experienced Philippines stalwarts Jovin Bedic and Simone Rota continue to make up the backbone of the team but recent additions such as Patrick Deyto, Kaishu Yamazaki and Shuto Komaki have added an extra dimension of stability and dynamism.
Kuala Lumpur City
Just two years ago, Kuala Lumpur City shone on the continental stage as they embarked on an inspired run all the way to the AFC Cup final before ultimately falling to Oman's Al Seeb.
In the Malaysia Super League era, the City Boys have never finished higher than 6th but have proven to be rather adept in cup competitions -- especially when they pulled off an upset over JDT to win the Malaysia Cup final in 2021.
Players such as Paulo Josue, Brendan Gan, Patrick Reichelt and Nicholas Swirad illustrate the quality KL City still boast, although they have lost star forward Romel Morales to JDT.
Lion City Sailors
With Albirex Niigata (S) originally ineligible to represent Singapore in international competition, it will be Lion City Sailors who get the opportunity to feature in the relaunched ASEAN Club Championship.
In their relatively short history since being founded on the back of a takeover of the now-defunct Home United, the Sailors have achieved plenty -- winning the Singapore Premier League in 2021 while also pulling off noteworthy victories in the AFC Champions League over teams such as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Daegu.
Littered with quality all over the park, especially in attack in the form of the irrepressible Maxime Lestienne, LCS should be relishing the opportunity to show that Singapore football is on par with the rest of the region's leading lights.
- Gabriel Tan
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