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JAKARTA: Two-time defending champions Singapore will avoid the tricky hurdle of playing three-time winners Thailand in the group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup in December.
The biennial tournament, to crown the kings of ASEAN football, will be co-hosted by Indonesia and Thailand following a five-team qualifying event in Cambodia in October.
Singapore will take on co-hosts Indonesia, Myanmar and one of the qualifiers in Group A as they hope to extend their unbeaten run of 15 games in the tournament.
Thailand, who have splashed out to hire former Sunderland boss Peter Reid as their new coach, were drawn in Group B alongside 2007 Asian Cup surprise packets Vietnam, Malaysia and a qualifier.
The matches will be played in Bangkok. Ex-Everton star Reid is expected to take up his post with Thailand on September 1.
The Lions of Singapore won the tournament for the second time with victory over Indonesia in 2004 and retained the title in a controversial two-legged final against Thailand in early 2007.
Singapore took a 2-1 lead after the first leg in a home game that was delayed for more than 10 minutes after the Thai team walked off the field to protest a penalty decision.
In the second leg in Bangkok, Pipat Thonkanya gave Thailand a ray of hope with a first half goal that took his side level on aggregate before a wonder strike from Khairul Amri in the 82nd minute sealed the issue for the titleholders.
The group games will be played from December 5-10, the semi-finals from December 16 to 21 with the two-legged final on December 24 and 28.
Hosts Cambodia, Brunei, Laos, the Philippines and Timor Leste will battle it out for the two remaining spots in the finals in Phnom Penh from October 17-25.
- AFP/ir
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