Players practise at the District 8 Gymnasium in HCM City. They will compete at the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualification. Photo of VFF

HÀ NỘI — The national futsal team started training on May 8 in HCM City to prepare for the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualification.

Coach Diego Raul Giustozzi has assembled 19 players, including four keepers, seven alas (midfielders), three fixos (defenders) and five pivos (forwards) 

Among them, keeper Nguyễn Hữu Phúc and ala Trần Nhật Trung joined the team for the first time.

The team will have three weeks of practice in the city before Giustozzi shortens his list to 16.

They then travel to Paraguay for an intensive training course. There they will have three friendly matches against the host on June 4, 6 and 8. They will move to Argentina and have three matches with their national team on June 10, 12 and 14.

Paraguay is world No. 9 while Argentina No. 4 and won the world championship in 2016.

The Asian championship qualification is scheduled on October 2-13. 

The date of the draw and the venue of the qualifying stage will be announced later. VNS