VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has asked the organizing board of Southeast Asian Games 2011, to organize the football match between Vietnam and Brunei from 8am to 4pm, November 11.
Earlier, the organizing committee, Inasoc, announced that Vietnam’s group B football match against Brunei on November 11 was advanced to 8am from the original 7pm to avoid a clash with the opening ceremony. Inasoc informed television stations in the 11 member-nations about the change but not sports authorities there.

The change means the two teams will have to get up at least at 4am to have breakfast and prepare for the match, possibly upsetting the players’ biorhythms. It is conceivably the first ever time in the history of world football that an international match will be played at this unearthly hour.

VFF on October 27 sent a dispatch to Inasoc to protest this decision and asked the organizing board to change the time from 8am to 2pm. VFF has also called for Brunei to support its proposal.

Vietnam and Brunei are drawn along with Myanmar, Laos, Philippines, and Timor Leste.

Group A has defending champion Malaysia, hosts Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Cambodia.

Vietnam takes on the Philippines on November 3, the opening day of the football event and a full eight days before the opening ceremony.

PV