'The level of the Vietnamese team is not inferior to the Chinese team'

The Vietnamese team will face the Chinese team in a friendly match at the Dalian Sports Center Stadium (Dalian City, China) at 6:35 p.m. on October 10. This is a match within the framework of FIFA Days, where coach Philippe Troussier's students will prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The team gathered on October 3, but in reality, the preparation time of the Vietnamese team was very limited, because most of the key players could only gather with the team close to the departure date, after completing their obligations to their home clubs.

The Vietnamese team won all three of their most recent matches, scoring four goals and conceding none. On the other hand, the Chinese team won two, drew one and lost one, including a 0-1 defeat to Syria in September, and a 1-1 draw with Malaysia.

HLV Troussier: 'Đẳng cấp đội tuyển Việt Nam không thua kém đội Trung Quốc' - Ảnh 1. — Coach Troussier

However, coach Troussier is still very cautious. He shared: "It is difficult to compare the two football backgrounds of Vietnam and China. Both teams are struggling to find their way to the world . Personally, I think the football level of the two countries is at the same level, neither side is too superior.

I have worked in Japan, China and now in Vietnam. Vietnamese players have potential, but the problem of Vietnamese football is that most of the players are playing domestically. The players do not know how high their potential can reach."

Coach Troussier also talked about the goal of progress of Vietnamese football, especially in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

"I am very happy to be back in China. In the past, I spent about 6 years working here. I know this country quite well.

Now, I am leading the Vietnam team. I have a dream that, after these useful friendly matches, I can join the Vietnam team to participate in the World Cup in the future. Currently, when looking at the ranking of the Vietnam team, I think that is not enough. In my opinion, to win a ticket to the World Cup, the Vietnam team must be in the top 8 of Asia.

To realise the World Cup dream, we must have a new philosophy. I am honored to start the journey to the World Cup with the match against the Chinese team. After that, we will participate in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in November. We have prepared carefully for the match against China, my players are ready to face the huge challenge ahead in this match. Whatever the result, we will continue to pursue our goals," the French coach assessed.

Goalkeeper Van Lam practices at Dalian Stadium on October 9.

HLV Troussier: 'Đẳng cấp đội tuyển Việt Nam không thua kém đội Trung Quốc' - Ảnh 2. — Vietnam team won 3-1 against China in the most recent encounter

When asked about the goal of rejuvenation, Mr. Troussier affirmed: "When I arrived here, about 40% of young players were participating in the Vietnam team for the first time. Our goal is to participate in the 2026 World Cup and the upcoming Asian Cup. Regarding the Vietnam team's lineup in the match against China, I may use 40-50% of young players. At this time, I cannot reveal the details, you just wait until tomorrow, I will make my best choices."

Evaluating the Chinese team, Coach Troussier believes that the country's football will return to the World Cup in the near future. "The Chinese team has not been able to participate in the World Cup since 2002. We know that many Chinese people are also hoping that the team can return to the World Cup. Chinese football has many good players. They are gradually improving. I believe that Chinese football will soon return to the World Cup arena," the French coach stated his opinion.

Meanwhile, center-back Que Ngoc Hai shared: "We know that the match between the Vietnamese team and the Chinese team receives special attention from fans of both countries. The Vietnamese players have been training hard to prepare for this match. The two teams met in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. Now everything has changed a lot. Tomorrow's match is also part of the two teams' journey towards the 2026 World Cup. I hope the Vietnamese team will get the best results."

According to information from the Chinese Football Association (CFA), video assistant referee (VAR) technology will be applied in this friendly match.

This is a Tier 1 international friendly match, so the results will be counted on the FIFA rankings. The Chinese team is ranked 80th in the world, while the Vietnamese team is ranked 95th. Because they are ranked lower than their opponents, according to FIFA's scoring formula, if they win, the Vietnamese team will be awarded an additional 5.52 points.

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