KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Sea Games champions Indonesia have been drawn in Group B of the AFF Under-23 Championship in Thailand on Aug 17-26.
Minnows Timor Leste are the third team in the group. Only the group winners and the best runner-up in the three-group competition will advance to the semi-finals.
The tournament will serve as the testing ground for the national youth squad ahead of the Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers in September.
Indonesia are the group favourites having won the Sea Games gold medal in Phnom Penh recently.
E. Elavarasan's side failed to reach the semi-finals in Phnom Penh.
In last year's AFF Under-23 Championship, Malaysia lost to Laos twice and failed to reach the semi-finals.
Malaysia will open their campaign in Chonburi against Indonesia on Aug 18 before completing the group stage against Timor Leste on Aug 22.
Hosts Thailand are in Group A with Cambodia, Brunei and Myanmar, while Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines make up Group C.
