AFF Championship, which features national teams from around the South East Asian region, was originally due to take place in November 2020 only to be moved to April and May next year.

However, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has forced another shift in the schedule, with the regional body now slating the competition to start on December 5 with the second leg of the final to be held on January 1, 2022.

Vietnam's clubs and the national team will enjoy a certain edge from this adjustment.

At the moment, three key national team defenders, Tran Dinh Trong, Do Duy Manh and Doan Van Hau are nursing prolonged injuries, expected to heal in several months' time. Competing in World Cup qualifiers and AFF Cup in March and then April would place them at high risk of relapse. With AFF Cup moving to December, they would have enough time not only to recover but also regain their form, bolstering Vietnam's title defense.

For club football, hosting AFF Cup in late 2021 would help avoid conflict with other club competitions like AFC Champions League and AFC Cup, which will conclude around November next year. Vietnamese clubs who participate in these tournaments, Viettel FC, Hanoi FC and Saigon FC, would not have to worry about letting their players join the national team, ensuring the field their best squads.

Vietnam is currently topping group G of World Cup 2022 Asian qualifiers with 11 points, followed by Malaysia (9 points), Thailand (8 points), UAE (6 points) and eliminated Indonesia with zero. The Golden Dragons will clash with Malaysia on March 30, followed by a home game with Indonesia on June 7, and UAE on June 15. The team need to accumulate at least one win and a draw in their remaining matches, with the game against Malaysia the most important because if Vietnam were to get three points out of this tough opponent, their next two matches would provide significantly less pressure.