"Vietnam have played well against stronger opponents like Saudi Arabia, Australia and China. Although they lost, I think they deserve at least a point," Ivankovic said in the pre-match press conference Monday.
Vietnam are last in group B after losing 1-3 to Saudi Arabia, 0-1 to Australia and 2-3 to China. Oman surprised everyone with a 1-0 win against Japan in their first game but lost 0-1 to Saudi Arabia and 1-3 to Australia in the next two.
In the past, Vietnam had encountered Oman twice, both at the Asian Cup 2004 qualifiers, losing 0-6 and 0-2 in two legs.
"I have been impressed by Vietnam since Asian Cup 2019 when they made it to the quarterfinals. Compared to the most recent encounter with Oman 17 years ago, they are different now.
Vietnam players are really confident at the moment. But of course, we don’t want to lose. All players are focusing on this game and we need a great spirit to have the best performance. The next two games with Vietnam and China are crucial and we have to win," Ivankovic said.
The clash between Vietnam and Oman will start at 11 p.m. Tuesday (Hanoi time) and reported live on VnExpress International.