The draw ceremony for the group stage of the 2027 Asian Cup held in the early morning of May 10 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) has determined the opponents of the Vietnamese team in the Asian finals.
According to the draw results, the Vietnamese team is in Group E with the South Korean team, UAE and the winning team in the play-off match between Lebanon and Yemen.
This is considered a group with clear differentiation when the Korean team is considered the top candidate, while the remaining teams are in the group competing directly with coach Kim Sang-sik's team.
Notably, coach Kim Sang-sik will face South Korea for the first time since leading the Vietnamese national team. The East Asian representative is currently ranked 25th in the world, possessing many players playing in Europe such as Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in or Kim Min-jae...
Meanwhile, the UAE team continues to be a familiar name to Vietnamese football. The two teams met in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers under Mr. Park Hang-seo, each side had 1 victory. In recent years, UAE has also strengthened its forces with many naturalized players to improve competitiveness in the continental arena.
The remaining spot in Group E will be determined after the match between Lebanon and Yemen in June. Both of these teams have faced Vietnam at the Asian Cup.
With other representatives of Southeast Asia, Singapore is in Group D with Tajikistan, Iraq and Australia. Meanwhile, Thailand and Indonesia are in Group F - where Qatar and Japan are present.
The 2027 Asian Cup takes place in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027. The Vietnamese national team aims to pass the group stage after 3 participations in the tournament in 2007, 2019 and 2024.
Draw results of the 2027 Asian Cup finals:
Group A: Kuwait, Palestine, Oman, Saudi Arabia
Group B: North Korea, Bahrain, Jordan, Uzbekistan
Group C: Kyrgyzstan, China, Syria, Iran
Group D: Singapore, Tajikistan, Iraq, Australia
Group E: Yemen or Lebanon, Vietnam, UAE, South Korea
Group F: Indonesia, Thailand, Qatar, Japan.
