Thailand and Malaysia to Co-Host 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup

It has been announced that the group stages of the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup will be co-hosted by Thailand and Malaysia.

The next edition of the biennial tournament will be split across the two countries, the AFF confirmed this week.

Malaysia won the AFF Suzuki Cup 2010 title for the first time last December thanks to a 4-2 aggregate victory over Indonesia in the two-legged final. Malaysia last staged the AFF’s showpiece tournament alongside Vietnam in 2004.

Thailand co-hosted the 2008 event with Indonesia.  With double digit growth in foreign tourists expected in 2011, the announcement further ratifies Thailand’s position as “Asia’s Sport Tourism Gateway” and host to this year’s WSDE Sport Tourism Expo.