Suzuki Cup qualifying

The AFF council meeting at the weekend came up with a surprising announcement. They informed all and sundry that there would indeed be a qualifying competition ahead of the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup after initially confirming that no qualifying would be necessary and all 11 teams would play in the finals. No reason for the change of heart was given, but it now means that Cambodia and a few of the minnow nations in the Asean family will have to slog it out between themselves to earn the right to go to the final rounds, that will take place in Singapore and Vietnam in December. The qualifiers will take place in Laos between 13-19 October and are likely to include Cambodia, Laos, Brunei, Timor-Leste and maybe, Myanmar. So that automatically rings alarm bells for Cambodia, who if past form is anything to go by, will find it hard, nay impossible, to get through to the final stages. In the qualifiers for the 2012 competition, Cambodia lost all 4 matches. The other news from the council meeting was that Myanmar and Philippines would host the 2016 competition and that the qualifying tournament would be held in...Cambodia. So that's possibly 10 matches in the space of a few days. Something to look forward to.