Football 

Vietnamese players practise in Japan in preparation for the match against Kuwait on September 15. Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Head coach Đinh Hồng Vinh aims to lead Việt Nam 'as far as possible' in the Asian Games, even without the strong striker Nguyễn Đình Bắc up front.

Việt Nam will play Kuwait in the first Group C match on September 15, but the team will be missing Bắc, the best ASEAN scorer, as he is preparing for the FIFA ASEAN Cup later this month.

At a press conference on September 14, Vinh said his side have plenty of confidence from their run to the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup. They are well practised for the tournament and are ready to at least reach the quarter-finals in the Japanese competition, he noted.

"We want to go as far as possible here. My players and I will try our best every match. We respect all teams but want to pass the group stage first before going further," Vinh said.

Regarding the hot weather and high humidity in Nagoya, the coach said his team would not face any significant obstacles. He added that current weather conditions in Japan are relatively similar to those in Việt Nam during the rainy season, allowing the players to adapt easily.

Việt Nam are considered stronger than Kuwait, as they won the bronze medal at the AFC Cup, where the West Asian team failed in the group round.

But while Việt Nam don't have their best players in this tournament due to injuries and the FIFA ASEAN Cup, Kuwait have added three over-23-year-old members to strengthen their power.

Al-Asaimi, Al-Mubailish and Al-Salama are all in the front line and are expected to cause trouble for any defence. 

Kuwait's primary strength lies in their physical stature and fitness, allowing them to hold their own in one-on-one duels. Their style of play – relying on power, aerial balls and set-piece situations – is a familiar challenge for Việt Nam, however, who know how to overcome it.

In the latest match against Kuwait at the Asian Cup 2024, Việt Nam won 3-1.

Việt Nam will next play the Philippines on September 18 and Uzbekistan four days later. — VNS