2018 AFF Cup – Matchday 1 Best XI

Goalkeeper

Name: Andritany Ardhiyasa

Age: 27

Country: Indonesia

The goalkeeper made two great saves for Indonesia, and was by far the best player for The Garuda. The side would have lost by more than a 1-0 scoreline against Singapore if it wasn't for his presence between the sticks.

Defender

Name: Do Duy Manh

Age: 22

Country: Vietnam

In the match Vietnam's defence did not face many dangerous situations from Laos' attack. Duy Mạnh kept his concentration to help the team keep a clean sheet.

Defender

Name: Chalermpong Kerdkaew

Age: 32

Country: Thailand

Chalermpong proved once again why he was handed the captains armband with a cool and collected performance against a young Timor-Leste side. The visitors' attack found it nearly impossible to hit Thailand on the counter, thanks to his one-on-one defending and organisational ability.

Defender

Name: Hansamu Yama

Age: 23

Country: Indonesia

The only solid rock in Indonesian defensive line. The captain maintained his focus for 90 minutes while the others were a mess.

Defensive Midfielder

Name: Hariss Harun

Age: 27

Country: Singapore

The Singapore captain kept his composure and was the bedrock of an extremely compact midfield that gave nothing away. The Lions managed to beat a highly talented Indonesia side, mostly due to his excellent contribution.

Central Midfielder

Name: Luong Xuan Truong

Age: 23

Country: Vietnam

Xuan Truong played his best game in three month when Vietnam faced Laos. He controlled the match very well and managed two shots on target, including an effort that hit the crossbar and helped Anh Duc score an easy tap-in.

Central Midfielder

Name: Sanrawat Dechmitr

Age: 29

Country: Thailand

Sanrawat shows off his playmaking instinct by completing a hat-trick of assists to round off Thailand's 7-0 win on Match-day 1. The left-footed creative midfielder's passing was a joy to behold, in particular his pinpoint lobbed ball for Thailand's second and last goal.

Right Midfielder

Name: Safawi Rasid

Age: 21

Country: Malaysia

He successfully passed some of the opponent's defensive barriers, and almost scored in the early minutes of the game, but sadly the ball hit the crossbar. His energy was one of the main positives for Malaysia.

Left Midfielder

Name: Mohamadou Sumareh

Age: 24

Country: Malaysia

His speed caused many problems for Cambodia, and he almost scored in the final minutes of the game. His effective deliveries were often squandered by the strikers. Sumareh is a versatile winger, who will be very useful to Malaysia in this tournament.

Striker

Name: Adisak Kraisorn

Age: 27

Country: The Kirin striker took only 31 minutes to complete his hat-trick and ended the game with 6 goals. Adisak's acceleration and tidy finish caught Timor-Leste's high defensive line off guard, and this performance would do wonders for the striker's confidence after a stressful season.

Striker

Name: Nguyen Cong Phuong

Age: 23

Country: Vietnam

Cong Phuong scored the opening goal and contributed a lot for the attacking force of Vietnam in the game. He was chosen as the man of the match in his side's 3-0 victory over Laos.