Defender Phạm Xuân Mạnh is confident that the Vietnamese team can beat Indonesia in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. — Photo baobinhduong.vn

Football

HÀ NỘI — Defender Phạm Xuân Mạnh says the Vietnamese national team is determined to secure all three points against Indonesia when the two sides meet on January 19 in Group D of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals.

The Vietnamese team has resumed training with a full squad of 26 players, and Mạnh, who plays for Hà Nội FC, shared his thoughts on their next opponent.

He said: "It's crucial for us to defeat Indonesia in order to have a chance of advancing to the next round. Personally, my goal is to contribute by playing on the field.

"I aspire to make as much of an impact as possible. As one of the more experienced players on the team, I am ready to guide and mentor my teammates when the time is right."

This is the third time he has been called up to the national team under the guidance of French coach Philippe Troussier. Mạnh considers himself fortunate and has put in significant effort to learn new tactics.

"I meticulously study the tactics in every training session, whether with or without the ball. I always need to be prepared for my teammates to pass to me," Mạnh said.

"On Monday, the entire team watched the match between Indonesia and Iraq together, in which Indonesia lost 1-3 to Iraq. I noticed that Indonesia played with high spirit, unity, and determination.

"The strength of the Indonesian players lies in their spirit; they are not afraid of challenges. However, I personally believe that there is a lot of space behind their midfield."

The player from Nghệ An Province acknowledged that the match against Indonesia will be very challenging and the Vietnamese team must swiftly put aside their 2-4 loss to Japan and focus on this match.

Both Việt Nam and Indonesia currently sit at the bottom of Group D following their respective defeats against Japan and Iraq. The match against Indonesia holds significant importance for the Vietnamese team. If they wish to progress further, Việt Nam must secure a victory and obtain a favourable result in their final match against Iraq.

In recent years, the Vietnamese team has frequently emerged victorious when facing Indonesia. In their last six encounters, Việt Nam remained undefeated against this opponent, winning three matches and drawing three. In their most recent meeting at the AFF Cup 2022, the Vietnamese team won 2-0.

However, what makes the match on January 19 even more special is that this will be the first meeting of two Southeast Asian teams at the Asian Cup in 52 years, since the third-place match between Thailand and Cambodia at the 1972 Asian Cup. VNS