Saudi Arabia, 10 May 2026 – Vietnam have been drawn into Group E alongside Japan, UAE, and either Lebanon or Yemen following the official draw for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 held early this morning.
According to the schedule, Vietnam will open their campaign against the UAE on January 15, 2027, before facing Japan five days later. In the final group-stage match on January 20, the team coached by Kim Sang Sik will meet either Lebanon or Yemen.
The final place in the tournament is still undecided, with Lebanon and Yemen set to meet in the last qualifying match on June 4 in Qatar. The match was originally scheduled for March 31 but was postponed due to tensions in the Middle East. Lebanon only need a draw to qualify, while Yemen must win to advance.
If Vietnam finish top of Group E, they will face the runners-up of Group D in the Round of 16. A second-place finish would likely set up a difficult clash against the winners of Group F, with Japan considered the favorites. If Vietnam progress as one of the best third-placed teams, they could face the winners of either Group A or D, where Saudi Arabia and Australia are among the strongest contenders.
The draw ceremony took place at the UNESCO-recognized Salwa Palace in Riyadh. Representing Vietnam were coach Kim Sang Sik and VFF national teams director Doan Anh Tuan, while Tran Quoc Tuan attended in his role as an AFC Executive Committee member and Chairman of the AFC Competitions Committee.
The tournament will feature 24 teams, including four representatives from Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and Indonesia. Vietnam and Thailand qualified by topping their final qualifying groups, while Indonesia secured direct qualification through the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Based on the FIFA rankings, Vietnam and Thailand were placed in Pot 3, while Indonesia and Singapore were in Pot 4.
Teams are divided into six groups, with the top two from each group and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 16.
Vietnam have experienced mixed fortunes at recent Asian Cups. At the 2023 edition under French coach Philippe Troussier, the team exited in the group stage after losses to Japan, Indonesia, and Iraq. However, in 2019, Vietnam reached the quarter-finals after beating Yemen and overcoming Jordan in a penalty shootout before narrowly losing 0-1 to Japan under coach Park Hang Seo.
The 2027 tournament will run from January 7 to February 5 across eight stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Khobar. Japan remain the most successful nation in tournament history with four titles, while Qatar enter the competition as defending back-to-back champions.
VSN/RPT
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