Vietnam team to play Qatar 2022™ AFC qualifiers at home and begin preparation in August

August 18, 2021

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has secured in-principle approval from Vietnamese health authorities to stage the national team’s upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ AFC (Asian Football Confederation) third round qualifiers on home turf.

The VFF will also work side-by-side with Hanoi’s authorities to ensure members of the visiting teams and their support staff, along with all visiting officials, are completely settled in separate, discretely serviced protective “bubbles” to reduce transmissible health risks to a minimum. Vietnam’s home matches in the round robin format of
the FIFA World Cup 2022™ AFC final qualifying round will in all likelihood be held at the city’s My Dinh Stadium.

The same “bubble” approach was used to greatly successful effect for the final matches the second round of AFC qualification for Qatar 2022™ that took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month.

Meanwhile Vietnam’s national team, progressing impressively as one of the best five best runners up from
the FIFA World Cup 2022™ AFC second round qualifying, will convene in early August to prepare for the AFC third round qualifiers.

Head coach Park Hang-seo has put forward a list of 31 players who will form the squad underpinning the preparation plan for the next qualifying stage, said the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

Hanoi (VNA) – Head coach Park Hang-seo, a Korean national has proposed a list of 31 players as part of the plan to prepare for the FIFA World Cup 2022™ AFC qualifiers, the Vietnam Football Federation reported to media.

Acutely aware that all the teams which have progressed to the third round of AFC qualifying for Qatar 2022™ represent powerfully competitive opposition, the sides involved have genuine quality players across the board, coach Park continues to call up a core of players who have significant experience of international tournaments.

Players named in Vietnam’s Qatar 2022™ AFC third round qualifiers squad include:

Goalkeeper Bui Tan Truong (Club Hà Nội – 35 years old); Defenders: Que Ngoc Hai (Viettel FC – Captain – 28 years old), Bui Tien Dung (Viettel FC – 25 years old), Do Duy Manh (Hanoi FC – centre back – 24 years old) ; Midfielders Nguyen Trong Hoang (Viettel FC – 32 years old), Nguyen Quang Hai (Club Hà Nội – 32 years old), Luong Xuan Truong (Club Hoàng Anh Gia Lai – 26 years old), Nguyen Tuan Anh (Club Hoàng Anh Gia Lai – 26 years old), Phan Van Duc An (Club Sông Lam Nghệ – winger – 25 years old), Nguyen Hoang Duc (Viettel FC – 23 years old); Strikers: Nguyen Van Toan (Club Hoàng Anh Gia Lai – 26 years old) and Nguyen Tien Linh (Club Becamex Bình Dương – 23 years old)

Despite his focus on experience, Park has taken the opportunity to add an alternative mix of promising young players as well as brand new faces to the squad such as:

Defenders: Le Van Xuan (Club Hà Nội – full-back and wide-midfielder – 22 years old), Nguyen Thanh Binh (Viettel FC – 20 years old), Truong Van Thiet (Viettel FC – centre-back – 26 years old); Midfielders: Ly Cong Hoang Anh (Club Hoang Anh Gia Lai – 21 years old), Le Tien Anh (Binh Dinh FC – central-midfielder – 23 years old); Strikers: Pham Tuan Hai (Hong Linh Ha Tinh FC – left-winger – 23 years old)

All of the players in coach Park Hang-seo’s national squad ply their trade in Vietnam’s V.League 1 enabling them to gather for training in Hanoi from August 5^th 2021.

Vietnam will compete in group B of this, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ AFC final qualifying round against Japan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, China and Oman. The “Golden Dragons” will kick off their campaign with an away match against Saudi Arabia on the 2nd of September 2021, followed by a home match against Australia at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium. The overall schedule of games will begin in September 2021 and run through until March 2022.

An article in Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald in early July predicted that Vietnam could cause a few shocks in their first appearance in the final stages of the FIFA World Cup 2022™ AFC qualifiers. Undoubtedly, as one of the fastest growing football nations in Asia, Vietnam has invested heavily in football development programmes, which have produced and incredibly talented crop of young players. Outstanding ability has rightfully filtered through the system into the country’s V.League 1 senior club sides, as well as the national team. All of which bodes well for some intensely exciting qualification games ahead.

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