The AFF Cup Southeast Asian Championship first took place in 1996. Since the 2004 AFF Cup, the tournament has been organized in a round-robin format in the semi-finals and finals.
Since 2010, the AFF Cup has applied the away goals rule in knockout matches. This means that when two teams have the same number of goals, the team that scores more away goals will win.
After 14 years, at the ASEAN Cup 2024, the away goals rule will be abolished. That is the general trend of world football when the World Football Federation (FIFA) has started a campaign to abolish the away goals advantage rule from 2020.
Under the new format, the team that scores the highest total number of goals after two matches will win the match. If the match is tied after two matches, the two teams will play extra time. If the match is still not decided, the two teams will go to penalty kicks.
With the new rules, the Vietnamese team will have a slight advantage over Singapore in the semi-finals. Because coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will play the second leg at home. The support of a large audience will be a great motivation for the Vietnamese team to overcome difficulties after the first leg in the Lion Island.
