AFF calls up Timor Leste striker to play against MU instead of Tien Linh

The Football Federation of Timor Leste (FFTL) announced that striker Joao Pedro has been selected for the ASEAN All-Stars squad to participate in the friendly match against Manchester United. The player born in 1998 is the fourth name announced, after 3 Vietnamese players: Nguyen Quang Hai, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Do Duy Manh.

Joao Pedro currently plays for Angkor Tiger in the Cambodian National Championship. He can play in many positions in the attack, in which his forte is left winger. In the 2024-2025 season, Joao Pedro played 21 matches, scored 6 goals and had 6 assists in the Cambodian league.

Joao Pedro impressed at the ASEAN Cup.

Joao Pedro made a strong impression in the 2024 AFF Cup (ASEAN Cup) for Timor Leste. The player born in 1998 scored 2 goals and had 1 assist for his teammates. Joao Pedro received many compliments for his high-speed dribbling on the left wing of Timor Leste.

The ASEAN All-Stars team was formed from 11 football federations in the Southeast Asian region. The team's head coach is Mr. Kim Sang-sik - who helped the Vietnamese team win the 2024 AFF Cup championship.

The representatives of Vietnamese football in the list of players are Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Quang Hai and Nguyen Hoang Duc - 3 players holding the captain's armband of the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2024. According to the announcement of the Vietnam Football Federation, the 3 above players were selected based on their excellent performance, professionalism and impressive competitive spirit in the past time.

The best goalkeeper of the 2024 AFF Cup, Nguyen Dinh Trieu, was not selected. The best player and top scorer of the tournament, Nguyen Xuan Son, will definitely not be able to participate due to injury. The corresponding positions of these players are given priority to other stars from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.

Last week, Manchester United announced its 2025 summer tour, which will include Southeast Asia. The Premier League giants will play against the ASEAN All-Stars at the Bukit Jalil Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 28.

The Malaysian and Thai leagues are both scheduled to end in April, but Johor Darul Tazim (Malaysia) and Buriram United (Thailand) still have matches in the AFC Champions League Elite. The Indonesian league ends in May, a few days before the ASEAN All Star take on Man Utd.

Meanwhile, the V.League schedule lasts until the end of June. However, Vietnamese teams will play until May 25 and can play in the National Cup in the next few days. Quang Hai, Hoang Duc and Duy Manh must prioritize serving their clubs before participating in the match against Man Utd.

Source: https://znews.vn/aff-goi-tien-dao-timor-leste-dau-mu-thay-vi-tien-linh-post1546373.html