•  Phan Thanh Hung chosen to lead Vietnam’s football squad

Six football teams have won tickets to directly enter the final round, including Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Five other teams must compete in the qualifying round from October 5-13. They are Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, East Timor Leste and Brunei.  

Group matches will take place in Malaysia and Thailand from November 24 to December 24. Two best teams from each group will be selected for the semifinals.