According to the schedule, the Vietnamese team will face the Lao team away in the opening match of Group B - AFF Cup 2024.
This is considered an easy challenge for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team as Laos is not a very strong team. In the past, the Vietnamese team won 9 times against this opponent at the AFF Cup in 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2021 and 2022.
Notably, in 3 out of 4 times entering the AFF Cup final, the "Golden Star Warriors" all had a favorable start to the tournament against the neighboring team.
In terms of strength, the Vietnamese team also possesses many players with good professional quality. Mr. Kim Sang-sik prioritizes using veteran faces such as Nguyen Filip, Quang Hai, Tien Linh, Hoang Duc, Duy Manh, Xuan Manh, Van Thanh...
On the other side, the Laos team has not had the most thorough preparation for the AFF Cup 2024. New coach Ha Hyeok-jun has only taken over the team for exactly 4 months.
Over the past year, the Lao team has not played any international matches until the FIFA Days in November. This has more or less affected the players' performance and competitive spirit.
The match between Vietnam and Laos will take place at 8:00 p.m. on December 9.
