National squad leave for Iraq to seek place at World Cup third qualifiers
VOV.VN - Korean coach Kim Sang-sik and the Vietnamese team departed for Iraq early on June 8 to prepare for their away game against Iraq on June 12, hoping to secure a spot in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Kim named 23 players for the lineup, removing four names, including striker Van Toan, goalkeeper Van Chuan, along with midfielders Thai Son and Ngoc Son.
A 3-2 victory over the Philippines in the June 6 Group F match at Hanoi’s My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi keeps the team’s hopes of advancing to the next round of World Cup qualifiers alive, as they now trail Indonesia by just one point.
Iraq now top Group F with 15 points, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam with seven and six points, respectively. With only one point, the Philippines are at the bottom of the group and have been officially eliminated.
The June 11 match against Iraq will be the last chance for Vietnam to earn a place in the third round of Asian qualifiers.
Indonesia will also take on the Philippines on June 11. If Vietnam win against Iraq away from home and Indonesia either draw or lose against the Philippines, then Vietnam will advance to the next stage.
