The Vietnamese team train for the match against Malaysia at the AFC Asian U23 Cup. — Photo courtesy of VFF

Football

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam are ready to face Malaysia on Saturday in their second match at the AFC Asian U23 Cup following their opening game win against Kuwait.

Midfielder Võ Hoàng Minh Khoa said that the Vietnamese team overcame initial difficulties by securing a 3-1 victory against U23 Kuwait, which helped alleviate a lot of pressure for the players.

"After the match, the entire team discussed and learned from the experience. We will try to maintain the positive aspects and strive to capitalise on our strengths in order to achieve the best possible result in the upcoming match against Malaysia," Khoa said.

A victory will open the door to the quarter-finals for Việt Nam.

However, Việt Nam will be without suspended defender Ngọc Thắng and they will also be missing striker Đình Bắc due to injury. Coach Hoàng Anh Tuấn will only have 18 players (excluding three goalkeepers) available to devise a tactical plan, while the Malaysian team will have a full squad.

The Asian Football Confederation has appointed a refereeing team from West Asia to officiate the match.

The main referee will be Mooud Bonyadifard from Iran. Bonyadifard's assistants, Saeid Ghasemi and IIdorom Alireza, will also be from Iran. Ahmed Eisa Mohamed Darwish from the UAE will be in charge of managing the VAR team.

Referee Bonyadifard is not a stranger to Vietnamese football. He officiated the match when Việt Nam lost 2-4 to Japan in the recent Asian Cup 2023.

Five years ago, Bonyadifard was the referee when Việt Nam won 1-0 against Malaysia in the 2022 World Cup qualifier at Mỹ Đình National Stadium. Last year, he also officiated the match between Hải Phòng FC and Incheon United in the 2023/2024 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Việt Nam's final group match will be against Uzbekistan on April 23.

The tournament will also determine the Asian representatives for the 2024 Paris Olympics. — VNS