Football

Vietnamese players seen training on March 26 in Doha, Qatar. They will play Kyrgyzstan on March 29, Hà Nội time. — Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will play Kyrgyzstan in the last round of the international friendly Doha Cup for U23s on March 29. The winner of the match will place ninth in the overall ranking.

Việt Nam is currently at the bottom position after its second defeat, losing 4-0 to the UAE on March 26. Earlier, they were beaten 3-0 by Iraq.

Despite two big losses, coach Philippe Troussier was pleased with his players, saying it was a tournament to test them and his tactics for more important tasks in 2023.

The Frenchman played almost all of his players and asked them to play strictly following what they were told during practices.

"In term of result, Việt Nam lost. But like what I have seen. Việt Nam came to Doha Cup to see how players progress. And with what they performed against the UAE, I am happy with them," said Troussier.

"Players had a good first half but their stamina was not good in the second half and that was the main reason for the loss. Remember, the UAE are much stronger than us. They are a big challenge," he said.

"They were defeated 4-0 but they worked hard and made great effort. Through the match, we can test our formula, tactics and team organisation. I see their improvement step by step and I believe that the gap between us and other countries will be narrowed in a near future," he said.

In other matches at the Doha Cup, Saudi Arabia will play Qatar for seventh place; Iraq will face Oman for fifth position; Thailand and Kuwait will vie for the bronze and the UAE will meet South Korea for the championship trophy. — VNS