Key players absent from upcoming World Cup qualifier against China
VOV.VN - Three local footballers won’t be able to join the Vietnamese men’s national football team to compete in the upcoming game against China on February 1, which is set take place as part of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
This comes following Phan Van Duc being given a yellow card in the 34th minute in the clash against Australia on January 27, his second yellow card in the current round of World Cup qualifiers.
As a result, he will be suspended from the next match against China on February 1.
This represents a loss for the national team as there’re not many players able to play in attack among the current squad.
Coach Park Hang-seo will therefore have to consider who will feature in attack as Van Toan and Tien Linh are still not in their best shape after recovering from COVID-19.
In addition, January 29 saw national team footballers Lieu Quang Vinh and Que Ngoc Hai test positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
This comes after Ngoc Hai couldn’t take part in the match against Australia due to suspension.
Vietnam is scheduled to face China at 7 p.m. on February 1, or the first day of the first lunar month, at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.
In their first leg match, China overwhelmed Vietnam in a 3-2 win, including two goals scored by Wu Lei.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese team coached by Park Hang-seo also lost 4-0 to Australia during an away match on January 27. They are now bottom of the group and have no chance of progressing to the finals.
