After much anticipation, the ASEAN Cup 2024 will officially begin its group stage on December 8th. Vietnam’s national team kicks off their quest for a third championship with a match against Laos at 20:00 on December 9th.
This will be the fourth consecutive time Vietnam faces Laos in the opening match of the prestigious regional tournament. In previous editions, including 2018, 2020, and 2022, Vietnam emerged victorious with ease under the guidance of Coach Park Hang-seo.
This time, although Vietnam’s coach will be Kim Sang Sik, the team’s objective remains the same—securing all three points in the opening match.
For this year’s ASEAN Cup, while many teams are not fielding their best squads due to club commitments and the tournament not falling within the FIFA calendar, Vietnam has managed to gather almost their strongest team. The V-League has also been paused, allowing Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad to fully focus on the regional competition.
Leading up to the tournament, Vietnam’s national team completed a two-week training camp in South Korea. During this period, the team won three friendly matches, scoring 7 goals while conceding only 1. While the opponents were not the strongest in Korean football, these victories brought the team valuable momentum after a long stretch of less favorable results.
On the other hand, Laos had a quieter preparation for the tournament in 2024. The team had been inactive for much of the year before appointing Korean coach Ha Hyeok Jun in September 2024. Laos’ first friendly matches of the year came in November, with games against Thailand and Malaysia. Notably, Laos managed a 1-1 draw against Thailand.
The Laos squad for the tournament largely consists of players under the age of 23, with no “Lao-Vietnamese” players from previous AFF Cup or SEA Games tournaments included. However, Laos still has key players to watch, including midfielder Phoutthasay Khochalern, midfielder Bounphachan Bounkong, and forward Peter Phanthavong.
Vietnam has an added advantage this year with the inclusion of newly naturalized forward Nguyen Xuan Son. However, Xuan Son will not be eligible to play in the match against Laos as he has not met the required conditions. Nonetheless, the player from Nam Dinh FC is traveling with the team to Laos, providing him an opportunity to integrate with his teammates after missing the South Korea training camp due to his commitments with Nam Dinh in the AFC Champions League Two.
Regarding the team lineup for Vietnam, aside from Xuan Son, there is uncertainty around the fitness of Pham Tuan Hai, who may also miss the match due to injury. However, with the remaining squad members, Coach Kim Sang Sik remains confident that Vietnam will secure all three points against Laos, ensuring a strong start to their campaign in the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
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