Malaysia to host 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup
Reuters - Monday 21 February 2011, 16:03
SINGAPORE, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Malaysia's rare taste of
regional football success was rewarded further on Monday when the
Southeast Asian nation was named a host for the 2012 AFF Suzuki
Cup.
The Malaysians, who won the cup for the first time in
December with an upset victory over Indonesia, will share the
group stages of the 2012 event with Thailand, organisers the
Asean Football Federation (AFF) said.
Dates for the tournament, which is normally played in
December, have still to be decided.
Malaysia was a leading regional football power in the 1970s
but has since fallen off the radar due to a lack of good players
and investment in clubs.
The nation last hosted the Asean Football Championship
alongside Vietnam in 2004 while Thailand co-hosted with
Indonesia in 2008.
The AFF Suzuki Cup is a biennial football competition
contested by the national teams of Southeast Asia.