Football

Coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn (right) will give opportunities for young new faces to compete at the Asian Games although Việt Nam will play tough rivals this September. Photo of VFF

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam men's team are in a difficult group while their female squad face an easier task at the 19th Asian Games (ASIAD) after draws conducted on July 27 at the Grand Parkray Hotel in Hangzhou, China.

The Asian Games 2023 kicks off on September 19 and football at the competition also begins on the same date. The event will see 23 teams participating in men’s football and 17 countries fighting for the medal in women’s football.

The men’s football tournament at the ASIAD will be a U23 affair with a maximum of three senior players allowed in each squad.

Việt Nam will play powerful Saudi Arabia, Iran and Mongolia in Group B.

According to coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn the two West Asian sides were the continental leading ones. Both of them qualified for the knock-out stage last Games.

Mongolia, meanwhile, is taking part in the event for the first time.

The top two teams of six groups and the four best third-placed teams across all groups will progress to the round of 16.

On the women's side, Việt Nam is in Group D with Japan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Việt Nam women's team will prepare for the Asian Games after World Cup. — Photo of VFF

Việt Nam's toughest rival is the reigning champion Japan while the rest are lower-level rankings.

The top teams from the five groups and the three best second-placed teams across groups will make the quarter-finals in the women’s tournament.

After the draw, coach Tuấn of the men's team announced his list of players who will practise for the Asian Games meanwhile coach Chung is still busy with his girls at the FIFA World Cup in New Zealand.

In Tuấn's list, there are 26 players including 11 who just competed at the recent Asian U20 Football Championship.

Tuấn said he also added new faces to his list, most of them are under 18 and have never been called to the national teams, but he hoped they would prove their talents this time.

The team will practise at Hà Nội's Việt Nam Youth Football Training Centre and will take part in the AFF U23 Championship from August 17-26 in Thailand. They then return home and prepare for the ASIAD three weeks later.

World Cup qualifier draw

Also on July 27, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also conducted a draw for the 2026 World Cup second qualification in Kuala Lumpur.

The 36 sides were drawn into nine groups of four, and they will compete against each team in a home-and-away round-robin format, between November 2023 and June 2024.

Among 36 teams, 26 are Asian top teams and 10 are winners of matches between 20 teams ranking from 27th to 46th places.

Việt Nam is in Group F with Iraq, the Philippines and the winner of the match between Indonesia and Brunei.

While Iraq has been a tough rival for Việt Nam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei are regular teams in the Southeast Asian competitions in which Việt Nam is usually considered better than.

Việt Nam will compete in the second qualification round of the 2026 World Cup's Group F. They will have a quality training course in preparation for the tournament. — Photo of VFF

All nine group winners and the respective runners-up will advance to the third round of World Cup qualifying, and at the same time seal their places at the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027.

The draw for the third round of the global showpiece in 2026 will be conducted in 2024, where the 18 teams will be divided into three groups of six; the top two from each group will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The other two direct AFC entrants will be determined in the fourth round of World Cup qualifying, with one more possible berth available via an Intercontinental Playoff.

The other 18 teams from the second round will proceed directly to the third and final round of AFC Asian Cup qualifying.

At the previous World Cup qualification, Việt Nam under coach Park Hang-seo sealed their berth in the third round for the first time in history. It will also be the first target of French Philippe Troussier before aiming to qualify for the Finals which will see 48 participating teams, eight and a half slots are on offer for the continent’s national teams.

The Việt Nam Football Federation has made plans for the team after the draw.

They will have two friendly matches in FIFA Days in September and October.

In October, Troussier will lead his team to South Korea for a short training course where they will play with the hosts, one of the leading Asian teams. VNS