Vietnam to face Turkmenistan in VFF Cup opener
(VOV) -The national squad will face Turkmenistan in the opening match of 2012 VFF Cup on October 24 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The tournament’s organising board has scheduled Vietnam to meet Laos in a second match two days later before eventually clashing against the U23 Republic of Korea (RoK) team on October 28.
The RoK’s U23 team is considered one of the favourites to claim the championship title.
The tournament provides a valuable opportunity for Vietnam to prepare for the upcoming ASEAN Football Federation Cup (AFF) Thailand and Malaysia, running from November 24- December 22.
Due to an injury suffered in the recent home friendly against Indonesia at My Dinh National Stadium, top striker Cong Vinh is not available for selection. He is expected to quickly recover for the AFF Cup.
This will be the 8th time Vietnam has hosted the VFF Cup since 2004. It has only triumphed twice in 2005 and 2009.
Despite enjoying an unbeaten streak in last year’s tournament, Vietnam ultimately had to see Uzbekistan take the silverware.