VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam’s U22 team have a great chance to enter the final round of the 2018 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U23 Championship, coach Nguyen Huu Thang said yesterday.

Viet Nam’s U22 team seen in a training session to prepare for the qualifying round of 2018 AFC U23 Championship. — Photo bongda.com.vn

At a press conference in HCM City yesterday, he said: “We have the chance to enter the final round of the AFC tournament so we will take the opportunity. Vietnamese fans have high expectations of the Viet Nam team this time, so the pressure on us is high.”

Viet Nam are in Group I along with South Korea, Timor Leste and Macau.

Viet Nam will play Timor Leste in the first qualification match today at the Thong Nhat Stadium in HCM City today.

The team will next face Macau on July 21 and South Korea on July 23.

The top two teams in the group will qualify for the AFC event’s final round held in China, next year.

“I don’t care whether Timor Leste is playing hard or not. The most important thing is that Viet Nam must play with the best spirit and fitness. The training board will analyse the strong and weak points of our rival to come up with suitable tactics.

“I wish Viet Nam will get good results in the qualifying round to create a good frame of mind for the 29th Southeast Asian Games to be held in Malaysia next month,” Thang said.

Thang also officially announced his list of 23 players for the qualification yesterday, ruling out four players from the previous list.

Thang has chosen three goal keepers; eight defenders including Vu Van Thanh of Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), Doan Van Hau of Ha Noi and Do Thanh Thinh of SHB Da Nang); eight midfielders including four HAGL and two Ha Noi players; and four strikers - Nguyen Cong Phuong of HAGL, Ha Duc Chinh of SHB Da Nang, Ho Tuan Tai of Song Lam Nghe An and Le Thanh Binh of FLC Thanh Hoa.

Meanwhile, coach Kim Shinhwan of Timor Leste said Viet Nam was a strong side and the coming match will be a great challenge for his team.

He said Timor Leste has prepared carefully for the AFC event with an intensive training session in South Korea. The team played our friendly matches with South Korean student teams, winning one, drawing two and losing one.

The Timor Leste team arrived in Viet Nam on Monday and practiced at the Thong Nhat Stadium.

All Group I matches will be broadcast live on VTV6 and VTV6HD.

VNS