Defender Pham Xuan Manh is confident that the Vietnamese team can beat Indonesia in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. (Photo baobinhduong.vn) The Vietnamese team has resumed training with a full squad of 26 players, and Manh, who plays for Hanoi FC, shared his thoughts on their next opponent.
He said: "It's crucial for us to defeat Indonesia in order to have a chance of advancing to the next round. Personally, my goal is to contribute by playing on the field.
"I aspire to make as much of an impact as possible. As one of the more experienced players on the team, I am ready to guide and mentor my teammates when the time is right."
This is the third time he has been called up to the national team under the guidance of French coach Philippe Troussier. Manh considers himself fortunate and has put in significant effort to learn new tactics.
"I meticulously study the tactics in every training session, whether with or without the ball. I always need to be prepared for my teammates to pass to me," Manh said.
"On January 15, the entire team watched the match between Indonesia and Iraq together, in which Indonesia lost 1-3 to Iraq. I noticed that Indonesia played with high spirit, unity, and determination.
"The strength of the Indonesian players lies in their spirit; they are not afraid of challenges. However, I personally believe that there is a lot of space behind their midfield."
The player from Nghe An province acknowledged that the match against Indonesia will be very challenging and the Vietnamese team must swiftly put aside their 2-4 loss to Japan and focus on this match.
Both Vietnam and Indonesia currently sit at the bottom of Group D following their respective defeats to Japan and Iraq. The match against Indonesia holds significant importance for the Vietnamese team. If they wish to progress further, Vietnam must secure a victory and obtain a favourable result in their final match against Iraq.
In recent years, the Vietnamese team has frequently emerged victorious when facing Indonesia. In their last six encounters, Vietnam remained undefeated against this opponent, winning three matches and drawing three. In their most recent meeting at the AFF Cup 2022, the Vietnamese team won 2-0.
However, what makes the match on January 19 even more special is that this will be the first meeting of two Southeast Asian teams at the Asian Cup in 52 years, since the third-place match between Thailand and Cambodia at the 1972 Asian Cup./.
VNA
