Vietnam likely to play World Cup qualifiers in Japan
VOV.VN - Coach Park Hang-seo’s men are likely to play their final 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Japan if Tokyo’s proposal to host the Asian region’s last qualifiers is approved by the Asian Football Federation (AFC).
Japan’s Nikkan Sports reported the Japan Football Association will submit their proposal to the AFC in the coming days.
The AFC is considering organizing matches at neutral venues instead of home and away matches due to COVID-19, and the Asian footfall governing body has notified the football associations of all 12 teams, including Vietnam, about the plan.
According to Nikkan Sports, both Australia and Vietnam have recorded a surge in infection cases in recent times, while China has not held international matches for a long time because of COVID-19.
As soon as Japan received the notice, its football association has decided to register to host Group B matches. Though the virus is spreading far and wide, experience in hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics coupled with modern sport infrastructure are of Japan’s advantages.
The Vietnam Football Federation has yet to comment on the possible change of the venue. The national team are training hard in Hanoi for an away match against Saudi Arabia on September 2.
In the third and final qualifying round, Vietnam are in Group B together with Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, China, and Oman.
This is the first time Vietnam have entered the final qualifying round of the World Cup.
