Việt Nam champions Thép Xanh Nam Định are set to kick off their ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup 2024-25 campaign against PKR Svay Rieng on September 25 at Thiên Trường Stadium in Ninh Bình Province, hoping to turn domestic struggles into continental success.
While this is Nam Định's first match of the tournament, the Cambodian representatives will be seeking their second win after defeating Shan United of Myanmar in Group B last week.
Nam Định are struggling in the domestic league, having secured only seven points from two wins, one draw and two losses. Their poor performance, despite a roster of big-spending stars, has prompted national pundits to question their ability to defend the title this year.
However, Nam Định have a strong record in the continental arena, recently beating Ratchaburi of Thailand 3-1 in the AFC Champions League Two group round.
Coach Vũ Hồng Việt fielded 10 out of 11 foreign players to dominate that game. He planned to adopt the same tactic in the regional tournament, but the organising committee ruled that each club could use only seven foreign players, including one Asian player, per game.
Nam Định's sole Asian player is Palestinian midfielder Mahmoud Eid among the team's 14 foreigners.
The visiting side, one of Cambodia's top two clubs with four national championship trophies, arrived in Việt Nam two days ago to familiarise themselves with the venue and weather conditions.
They are in excellent form, having won all five of their opening matches in the Cambodian Premier League and currently sit at the top of the table with 15 points.
They also sit first after the first match day in the Shopee Cup's Group B, which features Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT) from Malaysia, Bangkok United from Thailand, Singapore’s Lion City Sailors, Myanmar’s Shan United and Nam Định.
The tournament features 12 leading clubs from the region, split into two groups.
Group A includes Buriram United and BG Pathum United from Thailand, Malaysia’s Selangor FC, Hà Nội Police from Việt Nam, Tampines Rovers from Singapore and Dynamic Herb Cebu FC from the Philippines.
The format is a single round-robin, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knockout stage.
Head coach Matthew McConkey aims to sustain this momentum in the more challenging regional competition.
Meanwhile, Svay Rieng manager Christopher Grant said the team were eager to demonstrate the progress of Cambodian football.
“This tournament offers a great opportunity to showcase Cambodian football on the international stage,” Grant said. “The competition will be tough, especially with teams like JDT, but we’re ready to give our best.”
He added that the team gained valuable experience in the previous edition.
“Last year, we competed toe to toe with clubs from Malaysia and Thailand. We had good results, so there’s no reason for fear this time,” he said.
