Coach Kim Sang-sik and his players. — Photo kenh14.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Lebanese team have withdrawn from a friendly tournament in Việt Nam scheduled for early October, but the Vietnamese team will not be going up against a replacement opponent.

The Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) has confirmed that the Lebanese Football Federation sent a letter of apology to announce their withdrawal from the international friendly tournament coinciding with FIFA Days in October 2024. The tournament will be hosted by Việt Nam at Thiên Trường Stadium, with India also participating.

Initially, Việt Nam were set to face India on October 9 and Lebanon on October 15, while the Indian and Lebanese teams were scheduled to meet on October 12. All matches were to be counted according to FIFA rankings.

On Thursday, coach Kim Sang-sik announced the roster for the Vietnamese national team, which will gather for training from October 5 to prepare for the upcoming matches. With Lebanon's withdrawal, Việt Nam risk only playing one match during FIFA Days, potentially impacting their preparation for the ASEAN Cup at the end of the year.

There are only two FIFA Days left in October and November for coach Kim to test his squad and tactics. Since replacing Philippe Troussier in June 2024, the South Korean coach has struggled to make a significant impact, with the team losing their last three matches against Iraq, Russia and Thailand.

Currently, the VFF has no plans to find a replacement opponent for the Vietnamese team. Inviting another national team for a friendly match is challenging at this time, as many have already scheduled their fixtures. Việt Nam may end up playing two matches against India, who will also be one match down due to Lebanon's withdrawal. VNS