AFF SUZUKI CUP REVIEW: Thailand’s dominance, Indonesia’s resurgence, and a promising new format

Following Saturday’s dramatic result at Rajamangala Stadium, here are Football Channel Asia’s five key takeaways from this year’s AFF Suzuki Cup:

1. Thailand are Southeast Asia’s undisputed top team after silencing doubters

Coming into the AFF Suzuki Cup 2016 after a disastrous World Cup qualification campaign, there were some doubts as to whether Thailand could defend their regional trophy against a number of promising upstarts. After a slow group stage, however, Kiatisuk’s players did incredible work in the knockout stage to clinch the country’s fifth AFF title.

Aside from a 2-1 defeat against Indonesia in the first leg of the final, Thailand recorded one comfortable victory after another, dominating their opponents from start to finish. The War Elephants’ AFF Suzuki Cup campaign was a huge success, and it seems likely that they will continue to dominate Southeast Asia for years to come.