The Vietnamese futsal team training in Kuwait ahead of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2022. VFF Photo

Futsal

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese futsal team are ready for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2022, which will be held from September 27 to October 8 in Kuwait.

Việt Nam will meet South Korea in their first match in Group D today.

"The Vietnamese futsal team have prepared the best they can for the event. We will try our best in every match for the best result. Our first opponent will be South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Japan," said coach Diego Giustozzi.

To prepare for the Asian event, Việt Nam have trained in Kuwait under the careful eye of their coaching staff.

Giustozzi said he was delighted with the higher concentration of the Vietnamese players. The team had carefully studied the South Korean way of playing to exploit weaknesses in the South Korean defence.

Before the match, the Vietnamese team received the good news that captain Trần Văn Vũ is recovering well from his injury.

"I feel like everything is better, and I can train with the team. However, the coaching staff said I need to be well looked after to return as best as possible. Hopefully, my legs will be healthier in the next few days," Vũ said.

Regarding Vũ's injury, the Argentinean coach said: "Vũ is the captain, an important player, but we also have other players. He needs to recover from his injury well. We can't be hazardous with his injury."

Acting President of the Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF), Trần Quốc Tuấn, was present in Kuwait to encourage the squad.

Tuấn said: "This is a tournament that brings together the best teams of the continent so that it will be challenging for Việt Nam. On behalf of the VFF, I wish the whole team a good performance to enter the quarter-finals. Especially, the opening match against South Korea is crucial, so I hope the team will win."

Việt Nam will meet Saudi Arabia on September 30 and Japan on October 2 during the group stage.

The event has 16 national teams, divided into four groups. The top two teams of each group will advance to the knockout phase. VNS