On October 12, the Indian men’s football team will play Vietnam in an international friendly after a Southeast Asian tri-nation competition was called off. Due to difficulties departing their nation amid the current turmoil, Lebanon withdrew from the competition, which resulted in its cancellation.
India’s original FIFA international match window from October 7 to October 15 was to see them play Lebanon on October 12 and Vietnam on October 9 at Thiên Trường Stadium in Nam định, around 100 miles from Hanoi.
Vietnam-India rivalry
The rivalry between Vietnam and India in football has a long history. India and the former South Vietnam national team faced off in a number of close games between the 1950s and 1970s in Merdeka Cup and Asian Games competitions. Meetings have been scarce in the twenty-first century, though, and this Saturday’s game in Nam Dinh will just be the fourth senior international encounter between India and a united Vietnam.
The three prior meetings were all amicable games. Vietnam triumphed 2-1 in the LG Cup held in Ho Chi Minh City in 2004. In 2010, India defeated Pakistan 3-1 in Pune thanks to a hat-trick from Sunil Chhetri. The most recent match was place in Ho Chi Minh City in 2022, with the hosts winning the Hung Thinh Friendly Tournament 3-0.
Thirteen players from the Vietnam squad from two years ago are in the current lineup, including goal scorers Nguyen Van Toan and Nguyen Van Quyet. Ten of India’s twenty-three players—Anwar Ali, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Brandon Fernandes, Liston Colaco, Vikram Partap Singh, Amrinder Singh, and Naorem Roshan Singh—went to Southeast Asia in 2022.
Vietnam’s and India’s current circumstances are comparable in many aspects. Following their elimination from the FIFA World Cup qualifying process in the second round, both are undergoing a rebuilding phase under new head coaches. Vietnam completed Group F behind Iraq and Indonesia, while India missed qualifying by two points behind Kuwait.
In June, Vietnam, which is ranked 116th, 10 spots higher than India, hired Kim Sang-sik, a former South Korean international, as their head coach. They have already lost three games and won one against the Philippines under his direction. They lost both of their games in the September window at the LPBank Cup friendly event in Hanoi against Thailand (1-2) and Russia (0-3).
Neither Vietnam nor India have had a good year in 2024. Since November 2023, the Blue Tigers have not had a win, while in their last 11 games, the Golden Star Warriors have suffered 10 losses. Manolo Marquez anticipates a close battle, and both teams are frantic for victory.
“I believe Vietnam’s players are talented. It will be tough for us to play away from home, but it will also be tough for them. Our physical appearance has improved, but we can yet do better.
Anyone involved in professional football will tell you that you’re not at your best until you have played at least 10 or 12 games in the season, even if our league just started less than a month ago. However, because we are now playing, that is irrelevant. As their league has also completed four rounds, Vietnam is in a similar situation,” the head coach of India stated, as cited by the AIFF official website.
The whole Vietnam team competes in their home competition, the V.competition 1, which is made up of both young and veteran players, just like India. Veteran attacker Nguyen Van Quyet, midfielder Do Hung Dung, center-back and captain Que Ngoc Hai, and goalkeeper Dang Van Lam are among the notable players. Nguyen Tien Linh is the team’s top scorer with 21 goals on the international scene. A few years ago, midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai played for Pau FC in the French Ligue 2.
Most of Vietnam’s players, including young guns like Nguyen Thanh Binh, Khuat Van Khang, and Nguyen Thai Son, are under the age of 26. Nguyen Dinh Bac, a 20-year-old forward, is the youngest member of Kim Sang-sik’s squad and has already scored two goals in ten games for the senior Vietnam team.
Due to injuries, Vietnam will be without defender Ho Tan Tai and striker Pham Tuan Hai. For the friendly against India, certain regulars like Do Duy Manh, Nguyen Tuan Anh, and Phan Van Duc are also absent from the squad.
The Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre in Hanoi has been the training ground for the 27-member Vietnam squad since October 5. Thep Xanh Nam Dinh FC, the current V.League winners, are the opponents they will train against on October 9. Then, on October 11, the day before the match, they will go to Nam Dinh.
Monday night, Manolo Marquez’s squad trained for the first time in Vietnam in the Nam Dinh Sports Palace, a facility that was only two kilometers from their hotel. Jose Carlos Barroso, the strength and conditioning coach, oversaw a 45-minute workout on Tuesday morning. Marquez agreed that the team will benefit from having extra days to practice before the game. Prior to a game, the Blue Tigers intend to train every evening to improve their rhythm, chemistry, stamina, and tactical awareness.
