According to the schedule, Vietnam will face Laos in their opening match at Binh Duong Stadium on March 25. Ali Almulla will be assisted by three fellow UAE referees.

Abdullah Hassan, one of the assistant referees, has officiated a total of 149 matches, including games in the UAE national championships, the U20 Asian Cup finals, World Cup qualifiers, AFC Champions League Two, and the U23 Asian Cup finals. He also refereed two matches at the 2021 SEA Games.

Throughout his career, Yahya Ali Almulla has issued 623 yellow cards, 18 indirect red cards, 20 direct red cards, and awarded 64 penalties.

The Vietnam national team will convene for training on March 11 in preparation for the match. Competing in Group F alongside Laos, Nepal, and Malaysia, the team will play in a double round-robin format with both home and away fixtures from March 2025 to March 2026.

The winners of each group in the third qualifying round will secure a place in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, set to take place in Saudi Arabia.

Under the guidance of coach Kim Sang-sik, Vietnam will play five matches in 2025 and one in 2026, with the primary goal of securing a spot in the continental tournament.

Korean referee to officiate Vietnam match against Iraq

VOV.VN - Referee Ko Hyung Jin of the Republic of Korea (RoK) is set to take charge of the upcoming fixture between Vietnam’s U23 side and Iraq’s U23s in the quarter-final round of the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup, with the fixture set to take place on April 27.