Initially expected to miss the trip due to his recent transfer to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Safonov’s participation has now been confirmed, adding significant star power to the upcoming match.

To secure the 1.92-meter-tall goalkeeper, PSG paid a transfer fee of 20 million euros, making Safonov one of the most valuable players in the current Russian squad.

In a surprising turn of events, despite earlier indications that he would not travel, the latest announcement confirms that Safonov will join his national team in Moscow after the third round of Ligue 1 this weekend.

He will then head to Vietnam for two friendly matches—against the Vietnam national team on September 5 and Thailand on September 7.

With Safonov’s participation, Coach Valery Karpin feels confident about his goalkeeping position. Russian football has finally found a worthy successor to Igor Akinfeev, who dominated the position for over a decade. The preliminary Russian team list also includes goalkeepers Evgeny Latyshonok (Zenit), Alexander Maksimenko (Spartak), Ilya Lantratov (Lokomotiv), and Andrey Lunev (Dynamo).

Currently ranked 33rd in the FIFA rankings, the Russian national team is considered one of the stronger teams in Europe and globally. They have participated in the World Cup 11 times, reaching the semi-finals in 1966 (as the Soviet Union) and the quarter-finals in 2018.

This makes them the strongest European team that the Vietnam national team has had the opportunity to compete against.

Duy Nguyen