Vietnamese coach Nguyen Huu Thang (second, left) and coach Lee Taehoon of Cambodia (third, left) in the press conference ahead of the match on November 26 (Photo: vff.org.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s national football team face Cambodia in the last Group B match of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar at 6.30pm on November 26 (Vietnam time).
With two wins already, Vietnam lead the group and have qualified for the semi-finals, while Cambodia are surely eliminated with two losses.
Vietnam only need a draw against Cambodia to secure first place in the group and avoid Thailand in the semi-finals.
The other teams in the group, Malaysia and Myanmar both have three points. They will meet each other in the other Group B game today in Yangon. The match is predicted to be very tense as both teams can qualify for the semi-finals.
“I have a lot of respect for Lee Taehoon, Cambodia’s coach. After a long time under his guidance, Cambodia has improved a lot. They have good tactics and their own style of playing. They made it difficult for Myanmar and Malaysia so we have to play carefully. Although Vietnam are in the semi-finals, we’re still focused and determined to defeat Cambodia,” said Vietnamese coach Nguyen Huu Thang in a press conference ahead of the match.
“Earning a ticket to compete in the semi-finals makes us very confident. However, we still want to take one more win to be more confident in the next stage,” said midfielder Que Ngoc Hai.
Coach Taehoon said "Vietnam are strong but have weak points, especially in defence".
“The match with Vietnam will be very difficult and is a big challenge for us. Even though we are out of the tournament we hope to gain experience from the match,” said the Korean coach.
Taehoon hopes his players will grab a surprise early goal.
The AFF Cup is hosted by Myanmar and the Philippines between November 19 and December 17.
Eight teams are competing for the trophy, with Group A including Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.-VNA
VNA
