ASEAN ME Cup trophy set for final stop in Manila

c/o ASEAN United FC

The Philippines will serve as the final stop of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup™ 2024 Trophy Tour, with the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati serving as the host of the activities on Saturday, November 9.

Set to make an appearance in the afternoon are former Philippines internationals Misagh Bahadoran and Aly Borromeo, with current gaffer Albert Capellas also present. Singer-actress Ornella Brianna will also perform, as well as the actual trophy itself, which has made made the rounds at Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta.

Entry for the event is free for the public, with the chance to win exclusive meet and greet sessions through the Asean United FC website and social media platforms. Booths will be present to provide entertainment and a chance to win exclusive ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup merchandise.

Earlier in the day, a football clinic will take place at the Tuloy Sa Don Bosco Foundation, which will involve both Bahadoran and Borromeo. Organized by title sponsor Mitsubishi Electric, the clinic is to utilized the "Okada" method, as devised former Japan national team coach Takeshi Okada.

Considered as THE regional football competition, the fifteenth edition of the ME Cup will take place next month, as Thailand seeks to claim its eighth title in the competition.

The Philippines has never won the competition, but made the semifinals for the first time in 2010, a moment that unlocked a new level of historical achievement for the sport in the country. They are seeking a return trip there for the first time since 2018, hoping that a fifth crack in the last four would ensure its first-ever finals berth.

In order to finally pull off that feat, one will have to earn their way by claiming the top two spots of their respective pools in the group phase.

Group A is comprised of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Timor Leste, who needed to survive a playoff against Brunei Darussalam to complete the field, with Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos in Group B.

The crossover semifinals is slated to take place at the end of December, with the final being slotted a week later. These two rounds are each to be played through two legs.