Vietnam to play Bangladesh in March friendly ahead of Asian Cup qualifier
VOV.VN - The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has announced plans for an international friendly between Vietnam and Bangladesh as part of FIFA Days in March ahead of Vietnam’s crucial Asian Cup qualifier with Malaysia.
The friendly match is slated for March 26, with the venue yet to be finalised.
Bangladesh are currently ranked 180th in the latest FIFA standings as of January 2026, significantly below Vietnam. The fixture is viewed as a manageable test for head coach Kim Sang-sik, who is expected to use the game to experiment with tactics and fine-tune his squad ahead of the crucial rematch against Malaysia in the third round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
In their two most recent matches, Bangladesh drew 2-2 with Nepal in a friendly and defeated India 1-0 in Asian Cup qualifying action. The South Asian side currently have no prominent stars competing in Asia’s top domestic leagues.
Vietnam are scheduled to regroup in Hanoi on March 17, following the conclusion of Round 16 of the V-League. The squad list could feature newly naturalised or overseas Vietnamese players such as Do Hoang Hen, Do Phi Long and Patrik Le Giang.
Coach Kim’s side will have approximately one week to prepare for the Bangladesh clash before facing Malaysia on March 31.
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