Laos national team (in red) during a friendly against HAGL at Pleiku Stadium, Gia Lai Province, central Vietnam, during their training camp in preparation for the ASEAN Cup on July 14, 2026. Photo by Read/Hoang Tung |
The highly anticipated 2026 ASEAN Cup is scheduled to take place from July 24 to Aug. 8.
Defending champions Vietnam are placed in Group A, where they will compete alongside Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore and Timor-Leste.
Laos find themselves in a challenging Group B, which features Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Myanmar.
“Thailand are a strong opponent, but we have the home advantage,” Grujic said. “Laos’ goal is to earn points and hopefully the progress made after the training camp will help the team create a surprise.”
To prepare for the tournament, Laos received sponsorship from Vietnamese tycoon Doan Nguyen Duc, the owner of V.League club Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), who funded a two-week training camp at the club’s headquarters in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai.
During their time in the mountainous region, coach Grujic’s squad played four friendly matches to test their tactics.
They secured two victories, beating HAGL 4-2 and Thanh Nien HCMC FC 2-1.
In their other two fixtures, the team had a 0-0 draw and suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat in a rematch against HAGL.
“My players have improved with each match. It was a very efficient training camp,” Grujic added. “We want to thank Duc personally, as well as HAGL, for their immense support. From the pitches and facilities to the accommodation and food, everything was fantastic. The friendlies were also exciting and high-quality.”
At the 2026 ASEAN Cup each team will play two home and two away matches in a round-robin format throughout the group stage.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, which will be played over two legs in a home-and-away format.
The final will also follow this two-legged structure, and the tournament organizers have confirmed there will be no third-place playoff match.
After 15 editions, Thailand hold the record for most titles with seven, having lifted the trophy in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2014, 2016, 2020, and 2022.
Singapore follow with four titles, which they secured in 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012.
Vietnam have claimed the prestigious title three times, winning in 2008, 2018 and most recently in 2024.
Comments are closed.