Vietnam will join 15 other teams in the 2020 AFC Futsal Championship, which is slated to take place between August 5 and 16 in Turkmenistan, targeting a top-five finish to secure a place in next year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup in Lithuania.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recently decided on the new dates of the tournament after carefully considering the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally scheduled between February 26 and March 8, the competition had been postponed following consultation with all the relevant stakeholders amid the complicated developments of the disease in many countries around the world.

The 16 participating teams will play in a round robin format in four groups to decide the top two teams from each group who will qualify for the knockout round.

The draw results for the 2020 AFC Futsal Championship.

The top five teams of the tournament will qualify as the AFC representatives for the FIFA Futsal World Cup, rescheduled to take place from September 12 to October 3, 2021.

With the presence of Oman, Tajikistan and hosts Turkmenistan, Group A is considered a favourable group for Vietnam in their bid to reach the last five for a World Cup berth.

Coach Pham Minh Giang’s side will commence their 2020 AFC Futsal Championship campaign with an opening clash against Tajikistan on August 5 before taking on Oman and Tajikistan on August 7 and 9, respectively.

All three Vietnam matches will take place at the Main Indoor Arena in Ashgabat. Nhan Dan

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