AFF U23 Championship 2022 ready to kick off in Cambodian capital

The third edition of the 2022 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship will kick off on Monday afternoon at the new Morodok Techo National Stadium in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, the AFF said in a press release late on Sunday.

Scheduled for February 14 to 26, the 2022 AFF U23 Championship will see 10 teams taking part, after reigning champions Indonesia withdrew due to COVID-19 complications.

The 10 teams have been split into three groups, with the top team of each group and the best second-placed team qualifying for the semifinals.

Hosts Cambodia have been placed in Group A along with Timor-Leste, the Philippines, and Brunei, while Group B includes Malaysia, Myanmar, and Laos, and Group C comprises Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore.

For hosts Cambodia, the tournament will not only be a great opportunity to showcase their new 60,000-seat capacity Morodok Techo National Stadium but also a chance to show their quality in front of their home fans as they open their campaign in Group A against Brunei.

"We will be looking for a good outcome in this tournament as this will be a good preparation for the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) which Cambodia will be hosting in 2023," Cambodia head coach Hirose Ryu said.

"The last two years have been difficult to get matches for young players, so this tournament is important," he said.

For Brunei head coach Aminuddin Jumat, playing against the hosts would be testing indeed after a long two-year hiatus from international competition.

"We have a young squad and this will be good exposure for them. We hope that we can do something against Cambodia," said Aminuddin.

All matches will be played at two venues: the Morodok Techo National Stadium and the Prince Stadium in Phnom Penh.

These will be the first international tournament to be held at the Morodok Techo National Stadium, the newest and most advanced sports facility, that was inaugurated in December last year.

This year's event will be the third edition of the AFF U23 Championship after the first and second tournaments in 2005 and 2019, respectively.