SINGAPORE: The 15th edition of the ASEAN Mitsubishi Electric Cup (AFF Cup) will see Singapore play Malaysia and defending champions Thailand in the group stages.

The biennial regional championship will kick off on Nov 23, with matches played on a home-or-away basis in a single round-robin format until Dec 7, said the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) on Tuesday (May 21).

Singapore's other opponents in Group A comprise Cambodia and either Brunei or Timor Leste. Brunei and Timor Leste will face off in a home-and-away play-off on Sep 7 and Sep 14 for a place in the group phase.

In the previous edition, Singapore failed to make it out of the group stage. 

Vietnam, winners of the title in 2008 and 2018, will look to improve their runners-up finish in 2022 when they go head-to-head with Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos in Group B.

The top two finishers in each group will advance to the home-and-away semi-finals, with the first of leg to be held on Dec 10 and Dec 11, and the second leg on Dec 13 and Dec 14.

The finals will be played on Dec 17 and Dec 21.

Singapore have won the AFF Cup four times - in 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2012.

Under new head coach Tsutomu Ogura, the Lions held China to a 2-2 draw in a World Cup qualifier in March, before losing 4-1 against the same opponents in the next match.