According to the schedule, the Vietnam team will have their opening qualifying match in Group F, against Laos at Go Dau Stadium, Binh Duong on March 25. To prepare for this match, the Vietnam team had a friendly match with the Cambodian team and won 2-1.
Meanwhile, the Laos team also played a friendly match but lost 1-2 to the Sri Lanka team at home. On the rankings, the Vietnamese team is ranked 114th in the world, far above the opponent (ranked 186th in the world).
Statistics from 11v11 show that the head-to-head record between the two teams is completely in favor of the Vietnamese team. Since 1996, the two teams have met a total of 14 times. As a result, the Vietnamese team won 13 matches and drew 1. The only draw between the two teams took place in the group stage of the 1996 Tiger Cup.
In the last 13 meetings, the Vietnamese team has won against their opponents with big scores. At the 2024 ASEAN Cup, coach Kim Sang-sik's team won 4-1 away. Nguyen Hai Long, Nguyen Tien Linh, Nguyen Van Toan and Nguyen Van Vi were the ones who scored for the Vietnam team. The only goal of the opponent was scored by captain Bounkong.
Compared to the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the Laos team has not changed much. Leading them is still Korean coach Ha Hyeok-jun. This strategist has called up a number of new players for the friendly match with Sri Lanka and the upcoming match against Vietnam.
However, the Laos team is still based on the core players who have participated in the 2024 ASEAN Cup. The stars of the Lao national team include striker Bounphachan Bounkong (28 matches for the national team, scoring 7 goals), Kydavone Souvanny (18 matches, 4 goals), Peter Phanthavong (5 matches, 1 goal) or a new signing of Thanh Hoa club Damoth Thongkham Savath.
Almost all players of the Laos team were born from 2000 onwards. They have played together for many years, so they are very compatible and understand each other. However, in terms of strength, coach Ha Hyeok-jun's team is still far behind the Vietnam national team.
With home advantage and a squad of superior quality players, Tien Linh and his teammates are expected to beat the Laos team in the upcoming match.
