I

ndonesia will kick off its ASEAN Footbal Federation (AFF) Suzuki campaign against host Vietnam in Hanoi on Saturday, hoping that it will be able to beat the tournament jinx.

Since the biennial soccer tournament in the Southeast Asian region was first played in 1996, Indonesia managed to advance to the finals four times but each time ended up as the losers. Malaysia is the last team to defeat Indonesia in the final in 2010, 4-2 on aggregate.

After failing to reach the semifinals in 2012, Indonesia, under returning coach Alfred Riedl, is looking to up the challenge.

However, the team is going to Hanoi with the backdrop of a discouraging mood following a theatrical game that tainted the face of national soccer.

Two teams in the premier league, which are one tier lower that the Indonesian Super League, played to 3-2 on the score line with all five goals coming as a result of deliberate own goals in their attempts to avoid undesired opponents in the next stage.

The Indonesian U-19 team put on a lethargic performance at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Championship in Myanmar, finishing bottom in Group B which included the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Australia.

In Hanoi, Indonesia is currently placed lowest in FIFA rankings compared to its three opponents in Group A. It is ranked 157, against the Philippines'€™ 129, Vietnam'€™s 136 and Laos'€™ 154.

Thailand, which is in Group B with Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar, is favored to win the trophy for the fourth time. The Group B matches are being hosted in Singapore, a four-time winner.

'€œI think Thailand will win the Cup. From Group A, I expect Vietnam and Indonesia to advance to the semis. Hopefully Merah Putih [Red and White] have a good tournament,'€ Jason Dasey, Singapore-based soccer observer working with ESPN, told The Jakarta Post.

Riedl, who is serving his second stint with the Indonesian team after a period in 2010-2011, has warned his players to be focused on the game at My Dinh Stadium.

'€œTeamwork is already good, but the players must not fall into individual mistakes easily,'€ he was quoted as saying by Antara news agency during a team practices at the stadium.

The team, split into two groups, drilled passes from midfield and crosses from the wing.

Sergio van Dijk was paired with Boaz Solossa while Cristian Gonzales was with Samsul Arif.

'€œDuring 2011, they demonstrated good skills, but they remained falling into basic mistakes,'€ he said.

In Singapore, the host and defending champion will make a long-awaited bow at its glitzy new National Stadium on Sunday as it kick off its bid for a record extending fifth Suzuki Cup title against Thailand, Reuters reported.

The 55,000-seat venue '€” the centerpiece of Singapore'€™s US$1 billion Sports Hub '€” opened in June but the soccer team had been forced to keep playing on the artificial turf at the 5,000 seat Jalan Besar Stadium.

'€œTo play for Singapore in front of huge crowds while defending our AFF crown is a dream come true,'€ Singapore winger Faris Ramli was quoted as saying by the Straits Times.

'€œAs a footballer it'€™s frustrating to play a good game, turn around and realize no one witnessed it. I'€™m looking forward to playing in front of a bigger crowd.'€

The winners and runners-up from the two groups will advance to a home-and-away two-legged semifinal, with the victors moving through to the final, which will also be played over two legs.