According to the original schedule, the ASEAN Cup 2024 (formerly known as the AFF Cup) was to kick off on November 23, 2024. However, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has changed the ASEAN Cup schedule to December 8 due to some objective factors related to the AFC Champions League club-level competition schedule.
This led to VPF adjusting the V.League 2024-2025 schedule, when rounds 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 were arranged to be pushed up to ensure that the Vietnamese team could regroup after November 20.
The aim of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is to help the players have 2-3 consecutive weeks of concentration before the ASEAN Cup 2024 begins.
However, the problem is that the FIFA Days schedule for November 2024 will take place from November 11-19, coinciding with the schedule of rounds 7, 8, and 9 of the V.League. This means that the Vietnamese team will not compete with other national teams.
Meanwhile, the teams of Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia will all gather for the upcoming FIFA Days. The team from the archipelago will have two matches against Japan and Saudi Arabia in the third qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup; Thailand will have a friendly match with Lebanon and Laos; Malaysia will meet Laos and India; Singapore will play against Myanmar and Taiwan (China); the Philippines will have a friendly match with Hong Kong (China)...
Without quality "blue soldiers" to compete with, coach Kim Sang-sik and the Vietnamese team have encountered many difficulties in preparing for the ASEAN Cup, especially in building a human resource framework and perfecting the playing style.
The good news is that the Vietnamese team will have a short training trip to Korea at the end of November, possibly playing against some clubs there. Therefore, this is considered an important test of the players' ability, fitness and confidence. Any star who does not meet the professional requirements will be eliminated.
Coach Kim Sang-sik is expected to call up many new players in the upcoming training camp. This is an opportunity for them to prove their abilities, but it also poses some risks if the new players do not have enough time to integrate well with their old teammates. Therefore, the coaching staff of the Vietnam team needs to make reasonable calculations to create harmony in the force.
Also in November, Mr. Kim Sang-sik and his colleagues will go to Indonesia and the Philippines to watch the two teams compete. This is a necessary preparation, helping the coaching staff better understand their direct competitors.
In particular, the Korean strategist will carefully study the Indonesian team, as they have added many quality naturalized players and have improved their performance in recent times.
