The Vietnam men's football team

A friendly between the men’s football teams of Vietnam and Iraq, which was initially slated for March 26 in Vietnam, will be cancelled due to the COVID-19 epidemic and at the request of the Iraq Football Association.

The match is part of Vietnam’s preparations for their upcoming match against Malaysia in the Asian zone’s second qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup on March 31.

The VFF informed head coach Park Hang-seo about its decision of not holding the friendly match with Iraq. It will work with the coach to have a solution to ensure the preparation for Vietnam ahead the fixture with Malaysia, said Le Hoai Anh, General Secretary of the VFF.

The Vietnamese team will convene on March 21 in the south of the country in order to climatise the players with warmer weather conditions ahead of their crucial game against Malaysia.

Vietnam are topping Group G with 11 points after five matches. They will play Malaysia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates in matches held from March to June.

The eight group winners and four best runners-up will qualify for the final round of World Cup qualifiers.

Meanwhile, the women’s team is aiming for berths at international tournaments, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, 2023 World Cup and 2021 Asian Cup. The team recently advanced to the play-off round of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Overseas training sessions for female players, especially for young ones, are under progress, Tuan added.

This June, the Vietnam’s U20 team is set to compete at the 2020 Toulon Tournament, which will also be contested by teams of Japan, Qatar, Russia and hosts France./.VNA

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Friendly tie with Iraq canceled amid COVID-19 fears

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) have moved to cancel a proposed friendly between Vietnam and Iraq due to the ongoing fears surrounding the potential spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).