Vietnam team returns with great spirit: How many matches are left in the Asian Cup qualifiers? Which channel will you watch?

On the afternoon of October 5, the Vietnamese team had its first official training session to prepare for the two matches against Nepal in the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team showed positive signs in terms of spirit.

NEW ENERGY SOURCES

In this training session, the Vietnamese team welcomes the return of goalkeeper Van Lam, who has not been trusted by coach Kim Sang-sik for more than a year. The last time he stood in the goal of the Vietnamese team was in a friendly match with Russia, which took place in September 2024. Recently, when the overseas Vietnamese goalkeeper excelled in the Ninh Binh club shirt, he was able to return. Van Lam could not hide his happiness: "After a long time, I returned to the Vietnamese team. However, I felt like it was just yesterday. Everything is very familiar to me. I am very happy to see my teammates again. I will be determined and try to contribute to the Vietnamese team. Now, the whole team is very excited to conquer the goals together. The atmosphere in the team is also very good."

Dang Van Lam happy on the day he returned to the Vietnam national team: 'It feels like just yesterday'

Young players like Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Trung Kien (from left to right) are ready to show off, creating positive competition within the Vietnamese team.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

Van Lam's enthusiasm also represents the spirit of the Vietnamese team. The players practice seriously and diligently but also very comfortably, without pressure. Even the newly called-up U.23 Vietnamese players such as Nhat Minh (Hai Phong Club), Phi Hoang (Da Nang Club)... are confident in every touch of the ball. Meanwhile, the veteran group such as Hoang Duc, Van Lam (Ninh Binh Club), Tien Linh (Ho Chi Minh City Police Club), Duy Manh ( Hanoi Club)... appear cheerful, often chatting with teammates to create a connection, helping the Vietnamese team become a united collective. Even the players who are having to practice recovery such as Hieu Minh, Xuan Bac, Thanh Nhan (PVF-CAND Club) are also radiant. Good spirit is an important foundation to bring explosive performances on the field, and the Vietnamese team has that.

6 POINTS WITHIN REACH OF THE TEAM

At this time, the Vietnamese team also has almost the strongest force. Apart from the case of Quang Hai (who has withdrawn in advance), the Vietnamese team has no serious injuries. The 3 players who have to practice separately from PVF-CAND Club and Bui Tien Dung ( Viettel The Cong Club) are only overloaded and will return to practice with their teammates in the next training sessions. With a quality squad, the Vietnamese team will aim to win both matches against Nepal (taking place at 7:30 p.m. on October 9 at Go Dau Stadium and on October 14 at Thong Nhat Stadium).

At noon on October 5, the Nepal Football Federation also announced the list of players going to Vietnam to prepare to face coach Kim Sang-sik and his team. According to the statistics website Transfermarkt, the value of Nepal's squad is only 1.5 million euros (about 45 billion VND), which is nearly 1/3 of the value of the Vietnamese team (5 million euros). The South Asian team is also in the process of rejuvenating its force, calling up many U.20 and U.23 players.

Therefore, the Vietnamese team is considered to be completely superior and winning 2 matches is a must. Coach Kim Sang-sik has another goal: to help the next generation of the Vietnamese team have the opportunity to experience. The group of U.23 players such as Phi Hoang, Nhat Minh, Hieu Minh, Xuan Bac, Thanh Nhan... have shown their abilities at the club as well as in youth tournaments, and deserve to try their hand at important tournaments to maintain the international competition rhythm, accumulate experience and progress further. From there, these young players can take on an important task: helping the U.23 Vietnamese team win the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games taking place in Thailand at the end of the year.

The enthusiasm and determination of the players are creating a new vitality for the Vietnamese team. Coach Kim Sang-sik also has a quality squad, combining experience and youth. These are important factors for the Vietnamese team to be able to win all 6 points in the 2 matches against Nepal. If we can do this, we will have a spiritual support and stronger motivation to defeat Malaysia in the final key match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, taking place in March 2026.

The Vietnamese team has played two matches in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, including a loss to Malaysia away in June 2025 and a 5-0 home win over Laos.

The Vietnam team will play Nepal on October 9, 2025 at Go Dau Stadium, and Vietnam will play Malaysia at home on March 31, 2026, which will be broadcast on FPT Play.

Then there are the Nepal - Vietnam matches on October 14, 2025 at Thong Nhat Stadium and the Laos - Vietnam match on November 18, 2025 away. These matches will be broadcast on VTV5, VTV Can Tho and VTVgo application.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-tro-lai-day-khi-the-con-da-may-tran-o-vong-loai-asian-cup-xem-kenh-nao-185251005215708122.htm