Despite the harsh weather conditions, the Vietnam national football team is scheduled to have a training session on their first day in Iraq. As reported, the team arrived in Basra, Iraq, at 2:08 PM local time on June 8. After leaving Basra airport, the team was accommodated at the Grand Millennium hotel – a five-star hotel regarded as the best in the city, located about a 20-minute bus ride from the airport.
Basra, the second-largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, is known as the hottest city on the planet, with an average summer temperature of 45℃. When the Vietnamese team arrived, the outdoor temperature had already reached 47℃. In addition to adjusting their biological clocks due to a four-hour time difference with Vietnam, this extreme heat presents a significant challenge for Coach Kim Sang-sik and his squad.
Despite the severe weather conditions, the Vietnam national team is still scheduled to have a training session this evening (local time). The session is planned to start at 8 PM local time (midnight on June 9 Vietnam time). This time is chosen because the temperature is expected to drop, making it more favorable for the team to conduct their training session.
The commitment to train under such extreme conditions highlights the team’s determination to prepare thoroughly for their upcoming match. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his players will need to adapt quickly to the environment to ensure they are ready for the decisive World Cup qualifying match against Iraq, set to take place at 1 AM Vietnam time on June 12.
The team’s rigorous preparation underscores their ambition to secure a positive result, which could potentially see them advance to the next round of World Cup qualifiers, provided they also get favorable results in the parallel matches involving other teams in their group.
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