U23 Vietnam to play champions Malaysia at SEA Games

U23 Vietnam will clash SEA Games 26 defending champions Malaysia at the upcoming Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Myanmar later this year.

Draw results in Myanmar on November 6 showed Vietnam will play Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Brunei and the Philippines in Group A.

SEA Games runners-up Indonesia will take on hosts Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Timor Leste in Group B.

According to the rule, Malaysia (SEA Games defending champions), Indonesia (runners-up), Myanmar (third position), and Vietnam (fourth position) are selected as the four seeds of the two groups.

To coach Hoang Van Phuc’s relief, his men will not meet hosts Myanmar and regional leaders Thailand in group matches.

They will play group matches in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw and if they qualify for the semi-finals, they will stay on in the capital for following decisive matches.

Group matches will kick-off on December 1 and the final match will take place on December 21, one day before the closing ceremony of the region’s biggest sporting event.

Meanwhile, female Vietnamese players will take on hosts Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia in Group A, and Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Timor Leste will play in Group B.

Sy makes final changes ahead of Uzbekistan match

Four former national players have been summoned for the second leg of the 2015 Asian Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan on November 15, with the team gathering in Ha Noi today.

Interim coach Nguyen Van Sy has called goalkeepers Bui Tan Truong and To Vinh Loi, midfielders Le Tan Tai and Pham Nguyen Sa.

Tai and Sa missed the first leg due to injuries, with Viet Nam losing 3-1 to the home team in Tashkent. Truong and Loi are reported to be in good shape.

The match next week will be a do-or-die for Viet Nam to keep its qualifying hopes alive. After three losses, Viet Nam have been relegated to the bottom of Group E and will be knocked out of the competition if defeated by the Uzbeks.

Star striker Le Cong Vinh, who is busy playing for the Japanese club Sapporo on loan, will not play with the team.