“We actually have a very short time to build the squad, but we came here with more far-reaching goals in the future. We are opening a new cycle.
However, I am still satisfied because this will be a great opportunity for us, a great opportunity for the players to gain experience in international competitions with strong teams," coach Diego Raul Giustozzi said at a press conference before the opening match of the 2024 Southeast Asian futsal tournament taking place at noon on November 1.
Regarding the absence of key striker Nguyen Minh Tri due to injury, the Argentine coach said: “He is an important player for the team. But I don’t think too much about his absence.
I have young players in the squad this time and I am happy because the team is getting younger. I am not here to think about other players. I am here to think about the current players. We are here to compete, we will find many ways to win matches."
Evaluating his opponents in the same group, coach Diego Raul Giustozzi said: “I think Vietnam, Thailand, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia are strong teams. Each team has an equal chance to advance to the next round and then aim for the championship.
I myself hope to be the champion. But I don't just want to win against my opponents, I want to do more than that. And I have the confidence to do that."
The 2024 AFF Futsal Championship will take place from November 2 to November 10, 2024 in Thailand.
According to the draw results, the Vietnamese futsal team is in group A with host Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Timor Leste.
Meanwhile, Group B includes Indonesia, Myanmar, Australia and Cambodia.
The teams will compete in a round robin format to determine rankings in each group. The top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals.
In the opening match tomorrow (November 2), the Vietnamese team will meet the Timor Leste team.
