Coach Troussier gifts Vietnam-Indonesia match tickets to traffic police

A screenshot of coach Philippe Troussier offering match tickets to two traffic police officers in Hanoi on March 25, 2024.

When the team were about to return to their hotel after training at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, Troussier approached two traffic police officers who were leading the way. The French coach offered them tickets to watch the match between Vietnam and Indonesia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at My Dinh on Tuesday night.

The two police officers were initially bewildered and did not understand what Troussier was asking for. Assistant coach Nguyen Viet Thang had to help with the translation and each officer asked for one ticket. When the team arrived at the hotel, coach Troussier gave them the tickets.

Tickets for the Vietnam - Indonesia match in My Dinh ranged from VND200,000 to 600,000 ($8-24). As of Monday afternoon, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) had sold 70% of the tickets issued both online and offline. There will be another 8,000 invitation tickets for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), away team's fans, VFF partners, sponsors, players and coaches.

The encounter between Vietnam and Indonesia will start at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and is a decisive match for both teams in the race to the 2026 World Cup third qualifying round. Vietnam are third in group F with three points, six points behind first place Iraq and one behind Indonesia. A win will help Vietnam keep their chance of advancing solid.