Reigning Thai League 1 champions Buriram United will test their mettle against V-League winners Cong An Ha Noi in the Shopee Cup, the Asean club championship, on Thursday.
The Thunder Castle have started the new domestic season in a dominant fashion, claiming two impressive victories in as many games.
The third edition of the Shopee Cup, which brings together the top clubs from the Asean Football Federation (AFF) member countries, kicked off on Wednesday.
The tournament was initiated in 2005 but dropped off the scene. Its revival was mooted by AFF in 2019, but the global coronavirus pandemic forced the plans to be shelved.
An effort was made again last year to resurrect the championship only to be put off because of clashes with the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 Fifa World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals.
The revived tournament will be played in available patches and will conclude on May 21 next year.
The other Thai League 1 team in the competition are BG Pathum United, who have been seeded top in Group A. The other clubs in the pool are Malaysia's Terengganu, PSM Makassar of Indonesia, Dong A Thanh Hoa from Vietnam, Cambodia's Svay Rieng and Shan United from Myanmar.
Buriram United are in Group B with Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur City, Cong An Ha Noi, Borneo from Indonesia, the Philippines' Kaya-Iloilo and Singapore's Lion City Sailors.
Buriram United coach Osmar Loss Vieira told a pre-match press conference at Hang Day Stadium that he was expecting some tough games in the tournament. "It's just the beginning of the season and this tournament is not going to be an easy one for Buriram United," said Osmar.
"We have to take part in five tournaments this season and we will try to win every single match that we play.
"We will be without Theerathon Bunmathan, and Cong An Ha Noi are a good team. Moreover, we have no idea what sort of game they will be playing tomorrow."
Cong An Ha Noi coach Mano Polking said: "It will be an exciting game. I know Buriram very well. They are a strong team with many good and experienced players. Their new foreign players are very good. However, we hope to pick up a point on our home ground in this opening game."
Polking has coached the Thai national team and Thai League 1 side Bangkok United in the past.
The match will kick off at 7.30pm and will be live on Thai Rath TV (32), BG Sports YouTube channel and AIS Play.
The Thunder Castle have started the new domestic season in a dominant fashion, claiming two impressive victories in as many games.
The third edition of the Shopee Cup, which brings together the top clubs from the Asean Football Federation (AFF) member countries, kicked off on Wednesday.
The tournament was initiated in 2005 but dropped off the scene. Its revival was mooted by AFF in 2019, but the global coronavirus pandemic forced the plans to be shelved.
An effort was made again last year to resurrect the championship only to be put off because of clashes with the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 Fifa World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals.
The revived tournament will be played in available patches and will conclude on May 21 next year.
The other Thai League 1 team in the competition are BG Pathum United, who have been seeded top in Group A. The other clubs in the pool are Malaysia's Terengganu, PSM Makassar of Indonesia, Dong A Thanh Hoa from Vietnam, Cambodia's Svay Rieng and Shan United from Myanmar.
Buriram United are in Group B with Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur City, Cong An Ha Noi, Borneo from Indonesia, the Philippines' Kaya-Iloilo and Singapore's Lion City Sailors.
Buriram United coach Osmar Loss Vieira told a pre-match press conference at Hang Day Stadium that he was expecting some tough games in the tournament. "It's just the beginning of the season and this tournament is not going to be an easy one for Buriram United," said Osmar.
"We have to take part in five tournaments this season and we will try to win every single match that we play.
"We will be without Theerathon Bunmathan, and Cong An Ha Noi are a good team. Moreover, we have no idea what sort of game they will be playing tomorrow."
Cong An Ha Noi coach Mano Polking said: "It will be an exciting game. I know Buriram very well. They are a strong team with many good and experienced players. Their new foreign players are very good. However, we hope to pick up a point on our home ground in this opening game."
Polking has coached the Thai national team and Thai League 1 side Bangkok United in the past.
The match will kick off at 7.30pm and will be live on Thai Rath TV (32), BG Sports YouTube channel and AIS Play.
