The tri-hero tournament is organized by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) in collaboration with an organization from September 5 to 10 with 3 teams participating.
The home team - Vietnam (ranked 115 in the world) - will compete with Thailand (ranked 101) and Russia (ranked 33 in the world, 11 World Cup appearances).
Sharing with Thai media, Thai coach Masatada Ishii said: "Vietnam and Russia are two good teams, but I think in the upcoming tournament, Thailand must focus on themselves. Through the tournament, I want the players to understand tactics and show their best abilities. That's what the Thai team should do."
Under Ishii, the Thai team played quite well at the 2023 Asian Cup, reaching the round of 16. But in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia, they lost their ticket to the next round to the Chinese team due to a loss in head-to-head performance. In 2024, the Thai team will focus on defending the championship at the AFF Cup.
The friendly tournament in Vietnam is an opportunity for the Thai team to evaluate their performance, as well as review the squad. Coach Ishii makes no secret that he will bring many new players to Hanoi.
He said: "In terms of choosing players for the Thai team, we first need to monitor their performance as much as possible. Besides, they must also fit the team's playing style. I also want through the tournament to find new elements for the team, see what they lack to be able to play for Thailand, and give them the opportunity to experience international matches.
The Thai team will not have much time to focus, but I understand that the FIFA Days schedule has been set in advance. But I believe the team will benefit a lot from the upcoming tournament. Just like other friendly tournaments, collective and individual performance will be the team's main goal, not results.
I believe that the upcoming friendly tournament will be an interesting competition. I myself will try to do my best to improve the level of the Thai team, so that the whole team is ready to compete in important tournaments in the future."
According to the schedule, the Thai team will meet the Russian team on the evening of September 7. 3 days later, they will meet the Vietnam team . Both of these matches took place at My Dinh Stadium.
