Thailand drawn with bitter rivals

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BANGKOK, Thailand -- Three-times winners Thailand have been drawn with bitter rivals Myanmar and Malaysia in the group stages of next year's ASEAN Football Championships, while co-hosts Singapore will meet Vietnam and Indonesia.

The Thais, who have dominated Southeast Asian football for decades, have been drawn in the easier of the two groups and will also face the Philippines, who reached the finals through the pre-qualifying tournament a week ago.

Thailand will co-host the tournament with two-time winners Singapore, who take on perennial runners-up Indonesia and a fast-improving Vietnamese side in Group B.

Unfancied Laos will also play in Group B after their surprise victory in the pre-qualifying tournament in which Cambodia, East Timor and Brunei were eliminated.

Group A matches will take place in Bangkok and Group B will play their games in Singapore. The winner and runner-up in each of the two groups go through to the semifinals and the final, which are played on a home and away format.

The group matches will be played from January 12-17, and the semifinals and final will take place between January 23 and February 4.

The ASEAN Football Championships, formerly known as the Tiger Cup, take place every two years.

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