AS the AFF Cup culminates in an exciting two-legged final between Thailand and Vietnam today, here are some interesting facts about the Asean competition.
l If Thailand win it, it will be their seventh title and they are already the most successful team in the competition since its inception in 1996.
l Despite being the highest ranked team in the AFF Cup at world No 96, Vietnam have only won the AFF Cup twice – in 2008 and 2018.
l Indonesia have never won the AFF Cup, and second at best. They played in six finals and lost them all — in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2020. They were second for three consecutive editions (2000, 2002 and 2004).
l No country have ever won the Asean title three times in a row. Singapore (2004 and 2007) and Thailand (2000 and 2002 and again in 2014 and 2016) have won twice in a row.
l This is the third straight edition Vietnam have not conceded a single goal in their group stage. Indonesia (2004) and Thailand (2008) had done this once.
l The 2002 AFF Cup final is still the only final to have been settled on penalties.
l Malaysia (2010), Singapore (2012) and Thailand (2014) are the only countries to have lost the second leg final after winning the first leg, and still gone on to win the final.
l Kiatisuk Senamuang is the only man to have won the AFF Cup as a player (1996. 2000 and 2002) and as a manager (2014 and 2016).
l The 2007 edition was the only one without a main sponsor. It was called the AFF Football Championship.
l Vietnam became the third team to win the title after Thailand and Singapore in 2008. Malaysia became the fourth in 2010.
l Former Singapore coach Radojko Avramobic is the most successful coach in the competition having won it thrice (2004, 2007 and 2012).
l Singapore's Noh Alam Shah (2007) and Thailand's Chanathip Songkrasin (2020) are the only two players to have won the Most Valuable Player award, and named as top goalscorer in the same edition. Chanathip also shared the honours with Malaysia's Safawi Rasid, Philippines' Bienvenido Maranon and countryman Teerasil Dangda.
l Noh Alam still holds the record for the most goals in one edition with 10 in 2007.
l Teerasil Dangda takes the prize for top target man and is the most successful player in the AFF Cup. He is the competition's top goalscorer in four editions (2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020). He is also poised for the title again this year as he is tied with Vietnam's Nguyen Tien Linh at six goals.
l Thailand's Chanathip Songkrasin is the only player to have won the Most Valuable Player award multiple times. He took the accolades for two consecutive editions (2014 and 2016) before being named again in 2020.
l Noh Alam Shah (2004 and 2007) and Adisak Kraisorn (2018) are the only players to have scored a double hat-trick in a single match.
l The first ever AFF Cup hat-trick was by K. Sanbagamaran who helped Malaysia win 7-0 against Philippines in the group stage in the inaugural edition.
l The fastest hat-trick was scored by Thailand's Sarayuth Chaikamdee in 2004. It was done in four minutes. He scored in the 63rd, 65th and 67th minutes to help the War Elephants win 8-0 against Timor Leste.