According to the confirmation of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the Vietnamese team will play the opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup group stage against the strongest opponent in Group D, Japan, at 6:30 p.m. on January 14 (Vietnam time) at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Al Thumama Stadium is known as one of the 8 stadiums used by FIFA for the 2022 World Cup. The stadium impresses with its unique design inspired by the traditional Taqiyah hat of Qatar and possesses very modern infrastructure.
In the second match, the Vietnamese team will face Indonesia, considered the easiest opponent in the group, at Abdullah Vin Khalifa Stadium at 9:30 p.m. on January 19.
Coach Philippe Troussier's team will then have their final match in the group stage against Iraq at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on January 24.
Although both of the above stadiums have not reached World Cup level like Al Thumama Stadium, they still meet the standards for top matches of the continent.
Vietnam is in a group that is considered very strong with the presence of two leading football teams in the continent, Japan and Iraq. However, coach Philippe Troussier and his team are expected to make a surprise.
In the first leg of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on November 21, 2023, the Vietnamese team regrettably lost to Iraq at My Dinh Stadium. The reunion between the two teams at the Asian Cup promises to be worth waiting for.
The 24 teams participating in the 2023 Asian Cup are divided into 6 groups. The 2 teams finishing first and second in each group, along with the 4 third-placed teams with the best results, will qualify for the round of 16 of the tournament.
Asian Cup 2023 groups (Photo: AFC).
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