The Vietnamese national team is confident of defending their AFF Cup title.

The Vietnamese team is confident of defending their AFF Cup title as they are in a relatively easy group, alongside Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, and the winner of the match between Brunei and East Timor.

Yesterday afternoon, January 15th, the draw for the group stage of the 2026 ASEAN Championship (AFF Cup) took place in Jakarta, placing the Vietnamese national team - the defending champion - in Group A along with Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, and the winner of the match between Brunei and East Timor.

Group B consists of runners-up Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Our biggest opponent in Group A is Indonesia. It's highly likely that the Indonesian team will have a full squad because the 2026 AFF Cup takes place after European national leagues have finished, making it easier for the Indonesian Football Federation (PSSI) to persuade clubs to release their players. Singapore and Cambodia, currently progressing, will play the role of "dark horses" to disrupt and hinder the big teams.

The U.23 Vietnam player (left) is maturing and will help strengthen the Vietnam national team.

Photo: Nhat Thinh

Commentator Ta Bien Cuong remarked: "Looking at the group stage, I see a very favorable draw for a major clash between Vietnam and Indonesia. Indonesia will be the biggest challenge for Coach Kim Sang-sik's team. In the 2024 AFF Cup, Indonesia spread its resources across the World Cup qualifiers, so they were eliminated in the group stage. Group A is relatively favorable for us as only Indonesia is a worthy opponent; our chances of reaching the semi-finals are very high. Once we reach the knockout round, facing anyone in Group B is pretty much the same."

Photo: VFF

Commentator Ta Bien Cuong believes the 2026 AFF Cup will still be very challenging, but it's also an opportunity for Coach Kim Sang-sik's team to successfully defend their Southeast Asian championship title. He stated: "We have six months ahead with many variables. We don't know how Malaysia will perform, how Indonesia will transform, or whether Thailand will have its strongest squad, but the Vietnamese team will certainly be determined to defend the championship. At the time of the AFF Cup, the Vietnamese team is in a very good phase, possessing three key elements: quality naturalized foreign players, the U23 Vietnamese players are maturing, and Coach Kim Sang-sik is a skilled strategist. The fact that the U23 Vietnamese players are gradually competing for important positions in the national team will add youthful energy, giving the team all the necessary elements to successfully defend the championship."

The AFF Cup 2026 will take place in late July and early August 2026. The specific group stage schedule for the Vietnamese national team is as follows: July 24th: Vietnam vs. Brunei/Timor Leste (away); July 30th: Vietnam vs. Singapore (home); August 3rd: Vietnam vs. Indonesia (away); August 7th: Vietnam vs. Cambodia (home).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-tu-tin-bao-ve-chuc-vo-dich-aff-cup-185260115213557892.htm