Vietnam team is not easy to deal with Indonesia and Thailand

Because it is not a tournament on the FIFA calendar, both Indonesia and Thailand cannot call up their best players because the clubs refuse to release them. In addition, coach Shin Tae-yong's view is that the main force of the Indonesian team is focused on overcoming the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, to at least win a ticket to the fourth qualifying round, so the upcoming AFF Cup is an opportunity for him to train young players to prepare for the 2025 SEA Games.

Coach Shin Tae-yong has called up 33 players this time, but only 23 of them showed up for the training camp in Bali. This camp gathers mostly U.21 players and only two names are over 22 years old. The two naturalized players, Justin Hubner and Ivar Jenner, are unlikely to be allowed to return by their home clubs. Meanwhile, Rafael Struick was only allowed to join the team by Australian club Brisbane Roar from the semi-finals. The other four domestic players who have not been able to join the team are defenders Pratama Arhan, Asnawi Mangkualam, Marselino Ferdinan and Ronaldo Kwateh. However, these four players will certainly be Indonesia's main force in this tournament.

Marselino Ferdinan (7) will be the captain of the Indonesian team at the AFF Cup 2024

However, the head of the Indonesian team, Sumardji, is still confident in the confrontation with the team considered the strongest in the group, Vietnam. Mr. Sumardji declared in Bola Sport: "The young players must fight with all their might, with the goal of course being victory. Don't underestimate the young Indonesian players. This battle includes strategy, physicality and spirit. We will prove that we can compete and fight the Vietnamese team with all our strength."

In 2024, Indonesia won 3 times against Vietnam, in the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup (1-0) and the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, both in the first leg (1-0) and the second leg (3-0). The two teams are in the same group B of the 2024 AFF Cup and will meet on December 15, at Viet Tri Stadium.

Meanwhile, in Group A, coach Ishii Masatada of the Thai team announced the list of 26 players participating in the AFF Cup 2024. Despite the absence of many key stars, no one dares to underestimate the number 1 team in Southeast Asia.

The main reason is that Thai-League 1 will continue in December because some matches were postponed earlier. Instead of letting conflicts arise between the clubs and the national team, a compromise solution was agreed upon. Accordingly, the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) decided not to call up players from BG Pathum United and Muangthong United, while other big teams such as Buriram United, Bangkok United and Port were only asked to release a limited number of players.

The names that will be absent include captain Chanathip Songkrasin, Teerasil Dangda, Theerathon Bunmathan, Sarach Yooyen, Kritsada Kaman and Supachai Jaided...

Despite the absence of veteran stars, the squad still features promising youngsters such as Supachok Sarachat and Ekanit Panya, both of whom are playing in Japan’s J-League 1. Supachok is a regular for Consadole Sapporo, while Ekanit is gaining valuable experience at Urawa Red Diamonds.

Suphanat Mueanta, Supachok’s younger brother, is also present after returning to Buriram United from OH Leuven (Belgium). As the youngest player to score in the history of Thai-League 1 and AFC Champions League, Suphanat has affirmed his talent by scoring against Korea Republic and UAE. The midfield will be led by experienced players such as Weerathep Pomphan, Worachit Kanitsribampen and Peeradon Chamratsamee…

Obviously, although they do not have the strongest squad, both Thailand and Indonesia are not easy opponents for the Vietnamese team at the AFF Cup 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-khong-de-doi-pho-indonesia-va-thai-lan-18524120422320217.htm