From Summit to stadium, Asean unites for Manchester United showdown
KUALA LUMPUR: As the curtains fell on the 46th Asean Summit and Related Meetings here yesterday, another powerful symbol of unity takes centre stage, not in a conference hall, but at the National Stadium, Bukit Jalil.
While leaders shook hands and signed agreements during the summit period which began May 22, the Maybank Challenge Cup involving English football giants Manchester United against Asean All-Stars today delivers a different kind of diplomacy and unites a region through football.
From Jakarta to Manila, Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City, fans from across Southeast Asia poured into Malaysia's iconic stadium, proving that in a region rich with culture and diversity, football remains one of its strongest common grounds.
For Khamsay Yomsamone, 43, from Vientiane, Laos, the match marked his first visit to Malaysia and unforgettable by the opportunity to watch the Red Devils live for the first time.
"I started supporting Manchester United during the era of Ryan Giggs and David Beckham.
"I cannot believe I am going to watch my favourite team tonight," he told Bernama.
Khamsay, who arrived here yesterday, also hoped that Bounphachan Bounkong, the only Laotian player in the Asean All-Stars squad, would shine on the pitch against Ruben Amorim's side.
Predicting a 5-3 win in favour of Manchester United, Khamsay said he hoped both teams would deliver an exciting and end-to-end game that fans could enjoy.
He also wished to see more Asean All-Stars matches against top global clubs in the future, hosted across various cities in the region to help connect even more fans with the teams.
Warinthorn Mitrchob,19, from Thailand, who predicted Manchester United to win 3-0, was eager to see his idol and defender, Harry Maguire, to score against Kim Sang Sik's squad.
Another Manchester United fan from Syria, Morrison Darwich, 32, had only one wish that is Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana would avoid from committing any blunders today.
"It depends on our keeper (Onana), if he performs badly, we are going to lose," he said.
Iqbal Azhar, 25, who flew from Jakarta, believed that Asean All-Stars could pose a potent threat to the 13-times English Premier League champions.
"They (Asean All-Stars) may need to defend well and try to play counter attacks to score goals. However, I expect Manchester United to still win 3-1," he said.
Although the Asean All-Stars are missing several key players due to national team commitments, Iqbal remained optimistic that the match would still be an entertaining spectacle.
The last time Manchester United played in Malaysia was during the 2009 pre-season tour, beating Malaysia XI twice, 3-2 and 2-0, respectively on July 18 and 20 at the National Stadium.
Manchester United, who endured a dismal season by their lofty standards, finishing the season in 15th spot with 42 points, are also scheduled to travel to Hong Kong as part of their post-season tour.
They will play against the Hong Kong national team at the Hong Kong Stadium on May 30.
– Bernama
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