VietNamNet Bridge – The Viet Nam football team has been awarded the Labour Order, Third Class, for winning the ASEAN Football Championship-AFF-Suzuki Cup two years ago.


Defending honour: Striker Nguyen Viet Thang takes the ball yesterday. Viet Nam meet Myanmar in the ASEAN Football Championship on Thursday. (Photo: VNS)
Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto and six members of the winning team, Le Cong Vinh, Duong Hong Son, Phan Van Tai Em, Vu Nhu Thanh, Nguyen Minh Phuong and Le Tan Tai, were among 18 players and assistant coaches to receive the certificates in Ha Noi.


The honour is expected to encourage the team before they play Myanmar in the opening match of this year's ASEAN Football Championship.


The group B contest will be played at Ha Noi's My Dinh Stadium on Thursday.


Viet Nam won the AFF-Suzuki Cup – co-hosted by Thailand and Singapore – with a 3-2 victory in a two-legged final against Thailand.


Viet Nam will play with Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore in a round-robin in group B between Thursday and December 8.


The top two will qualify for the semi-finals. Last week, the AFF council decided to change the venue for the competition's second match from Ha Noi's Hang Day Stadium to Nam Dinh's Thien Truong Stadium.


Indonesia hosts group A which includes Thailand, Malaysia and Laos from December 1-8.


Viet Nam and Indonesia are co-hosting the regional football championship that ends on December 29.


Two countries have co-hosted since 2002 with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals and final that is played in a home-and-away format.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News