Vietnamese players begin Asian Cup 2023 campaign in Qatar
VOV.VN - Thirty Vietnamese footballers of the national team coached by Philippe Troussier left Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi) for Doha (Qatar) on January 5 morning, beginning their Asian Cup 2023 campaign.
They will train in Doha for several days before entering a tough competition of the Asian tournament.
During their training camp, they are scheduled to play a friendly game against Kyrgyzstan on January 9. After the friendly game, Troussier will cross out four names to complete the 26-player line up.
Troussier on January 4 announced a temporary list of 30 players of the Vietnamese team for the coming campaign. On the list were without key players such as strikers Nguyen Tien Linh and Phan Van Duc, defenders Thanh Chung, Que Ngoc Hai and Bui Tien Dung, and midfielders Hoang Van Toan and Duc Chien due to their injuries.
No1 goalkeeper Dang Van Lam could also not take part in the tournament due to injury, prompting Troussier to call up young goalkeeper Van Viet of U23 team to replace. The coach is now placing his trust in Filip Nguyen, a naturalized goalkeeper who has acquired much experience in European tournaments.
Without the key players in the starting lineup, Asian Cup 2023 will be a big test for Troussier.
AFC Asian Cup 2023 will take place in Doha, Qatar, from January 12 to February 10, 2024, with the participation of 24 teams. The teams are divided into six groups, and at the end of the group stage, the top two teams in each group and the four best third-placed teams will win tickets to the round of 16.
Vietnam play in Group D alongside Japan, Indonesia and Iraq. They are scheduled to take on Japan on January 14, Indonesia on January 19 and Iraq on January 24.
