Home » Neil Etheridge excited for upcoming ASEAN Club Championship

Neil Etheridge excited for upcoming ASEAN Club Championship

Philippines goalkeeper Neil Etheridge said he is looking forward for the upcoming ASEAN Club Championship, which kicks off on August 21.

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Shopee Cup kicks off

Dubbed as the Shopee Cup, the Asean Football Federation (AFF) announced the comeback of ACC after its 20-year hiatus.

Twelve clubs, drawn into two groups, will enter the tournament proper.

Group A features BG Pathum United (Thailand), Terengganu (Malaysia), PSM Makassar (Indonesia), Dong A Thanh Hoa (Vietnam), Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng (Cambodia), and Shan United (Myanmar).

Meanwhile, Group B consists of Buriram United (Thailand), Cong An Ha Noi (Vietnam), Kuala Lumpur City (Malaysia), Borneo Samarinda (Indonesia), Kaya FC-Iloilo (Philippines), and Lion City Sailors (Singapore).

The fixtures will commence in a home-and-away, single round-robin format.

The top two from each group will progress in the two-legged semi-finals.

Additionally, the final will also be a two-legged affair, with the champions crowned on May 21, 2025.

Etheridge excited for ASEAN Club Championship

Etheridge, 34, made history as the first ASEAN player to compete in the Premier League.

However, the Filipino chose to take his talents to Thailand’s Buriram United after a four-year stint with Birmingham City.

Etheridge said he is looking forward to compete in the new regional tournament.

“I think it (the ACC) is going to be fantastic,” said Etheridge. “It’s brand new and it’s going to be exciting for us to be involved in it.”

“I think with it being new, and with the teams in it, it’s going to be professionally run and will be very competitive.”

“For me it’s going to be a very good competition to add games to the roster. It’s going to be like the ASEAN (Championship), which is a competition I’ve played in before but not for a long period of time.”

“I know the (Buriram) president (Newin Chidchob) is looking forward to it and so are the players. It adds a few more games to the schedule and a lot more travelling. The players are embracing it and we know it’s a competition we want to be extremely competitive in.

“The ASEAN Club Championship will be an extremely competitive tournament for ASEAN (football).”