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| ASEAN Football Federation President Maj. Gen. Khiev Sameth and Shopee Chief Commercial Officer Zhou Jun Jie with the Shopee Cup trophy displayed on center (Image Source: Manila Standard/ASEAN Football Federation) |
The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has officially announced Shopee as the title partner of the inaugural ASEAN Club Championship where the Philippines is set to compete alongside other participating Southeast Asian countries. Concluded by the AFF’s exclusive commercial partner SPORTFIVE, the partnership also officiates Shopee as a presenting partner of the AFF’s other major ASEAN Championships. Dubbed as the Shopee Cup™, the league is Southeast Asia’s first-ever official regional club competition to crown an ASEAN Club Champion annually.
The tournament comprises qualifying play-offs and a group stage featuring 14 of the region's leading clubs competing in 40 matches. In alignment with the European calendar, the Shopee Cup™ will kick off on July 17, 2024 and is slated to run until May 21, 2025. “Shopee is excited to be the title sponsor of the first-ever Shopee Cup alongside the ASEAN Football Federation. This partnership allows us to connect with football fans across Southeast Asia, particularly the younger generation. We’re thrilled to leverage Shopee Cup™ to introduce Shopee to new customers while keeping our existing users engaged through entertaining and exciting experiences," said Shopee Chief Commercial Officer Zhou Jun Jie.
AFF President Major General Khiev Sameth said, “Today marks another monumental milestone in ASEAN football. The Shopee Cup™ will be pivotal in creating an exciting future for ASEAN club football and transforming the game in the region. This landmark tournament will nurture the aspiration for the region’s leading clubs to become the ASEAN champion and to perform successfully in Asia. We are very proud to partner with Shopee, a homegrown ASEAN company of global renown and the ASEAN Club Championship’s first title partner. Together, we are making history as we shape and accelerate the development of ASEAN club football. On behalf of the AFF Council, I wish to express our deep appreciation for Shopee’s title partnership and support. We look forward to working with them and our Commercial Partner SPORTFIVE to deliver a world-class event and grow the ASEAN fan base to unprecedented levels.” SPORTFIVE Asia Chairman of the Board and President Seamus O’Brien said, “For SPORTFIVE, having been central to many watershed achievements for Asian football over the last 30 years, this partnership with Shopee represents the most transformative of all. The rise of ASEAN to the world’s fifth largest economy in recent decades combined with the undying passion of ASEAN football fans, now all bound together in our contemporary digital landscape, makes this a truly significant occasion for the sport. We look forward to collaborating with our colleagues at the AFF and our partners at Shopee to bring this event to the hearts and minds of consumers and fans across ASEAN."
The Shopee Cup™ will feature National League Champions and Cup winners (or runners-up where applicable) from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam with two teams each, along with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore. Meanwhile, National League Champions from Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar will battle it out in a qualifying play-off round to secure the remaining two spots in the Group Stage. The participating club from the Philippines, along with other participating countries, will be revealed during the official draw where a total of twelve qualifying clubs will be placed into two groups. A group stage with 30 matches played over five days will see each team play at home and away and the top two teams from each group will then advance to the semi-finals and finals which will also be played on a home and away basis. Further details about the season’s schedule, competition format, and participating clubs will be revealed during the official draw to be held in the first week of May.
