As women's football in Southeast Asia embarks on a new era, it was announced on Tuesday that Vietnam will be the hosts for the inaugural ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup -- to be held later this year from Aug. 6 to 19.
For the first time in its 21-year history, the ASEAN Women's Championship boasts a title sponsor in the form of insurance company MSIG.
When the sponsorship announcement was made back in March, ASEAN Football Federation president Khiev Sameth hailed it as marking "a transformative era for the women's game throughout the region."
Fittingly, considering a new chapter of women's football in the region is about to be written, the upcoming edition of the ASEAN Women's Championship will return to where it all began -- given Vietnam were the competition's inaugural hosts back in 2004.
In fact, Vietnam have hosted the tournament on five previous occasions but not since 2015, with their national team's three previous titles second only to Thailand's quartet of triumphs.
The 20,000-capacity Việt Trì Stadium and the 30,000-capacity Lạch Tray Stadium in Hải Phòng will be utilised for the group stage, with the latter then becoming the solitary venue for the semifinals, third-place playoff and final.
A change in format also meant that teams had to qualify for the tournament for the first time, through the AFF Women's Cup held last year.
With only the top five teams from the previous edition -- Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Australia -- securing automatic berths for this year's tournament, it meant that Indonesia, Cambodia and Singapore had to qualify via the Women's Cup.
"It is a tremendous honour for Vietnam to host the ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup 2025, an occasion of great pride that reflects the remarkable growth of women's football in our nation and across Southeast Asia," said Vietnam Football Federation president Trần Quốc Tuấn.
"This opportunity is not only a recognition of our commitment to the women's game, but also a responsibility we embrace wholeheartedly. Meanwhile, Sameth added: "The ASEAN Women's MSIG Serenity Cup 2025 marks an important milestone in our shared journey to elevate women's football in Southeast Asia.
"Hosted with the support of the Vietnam Football Federation, this moment sets the stage for what promises to be a landmark edition of our region's most prestigious women's football tournament."