HANOI, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has voted retired Vietnamese goalie Duong Hong Son one of the five best AFF Championship goalkeepers ever, according to the Vietnam Football Federation on Saturday.
The five goalies voted by the AFF include Duong Hong Son from Vietnam, Kawin Thamsatchanan from Thailand, Kurnia Meiga from Indonesia, Khairul Fahmi from Malaysia and Lionel Lewis from Singapore.
One of only two goalkeepers to win the AFF Championship's Most Valuable Player award, Duong Hong Son made two appearances on his tournament debut as Vietnam reached the semi-finals in 2007, but it was a year later that he really shone, stated the AFF.
In 2008, a string of his superb saves in the first leg of the final kept hosts Thailand largely at bay in a 2-1 win in Bangkok, before a 1-1 draw in Hanoi saw Vietnam crowned champions for the first time and Son named most valuable player.
Vietnam's national football team is to train in South Korea from October 17 to 28, and play three friendly games there in preparation for the upcoming AFF Championship, said the Vietnamese federation.
The 2018 AFF Championship, also known as the 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup, takes place between November 8 and December 15 across 10 countries in Southeast Asia.