After a day off, the national team resumed training Sunday night. Head coach Park Hang-seo spent lots of time in discussion with his ahead of the UAE match, from which he will be absent due to suspension.
According to Asian Football Confederation rules, Park is banned from entering the locker room, appearing in the stadium tunnel and the technical area (including for reserve players). He can only sit in the stands and cannot communicate with anyone related to the game. Park is also not allowed to take part in the post-match interview and media activities on the field.
Assistant coach Lee Young-jin (front) will be standing in for Park. The 58-year-old has been Park’s assistant since late 2017.
A former South Korean national player, Lee is full of experience and skills. Respected by one and all, he is the main instructor in all of Vietnam’s training sessions.
Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai will return to the squad for this match. The 24-year-old was absent against Malaysia, also due to suspension.
Forward Nguyen Van Toan is also fully fit for the game. He was injured when playing Indonesia and only appeared in the last 20 minutes of the second half against Malaysia. He left his mark on the game by earning a penalty that helped Vietnam seal their 2-1 victory.
Nguyen Tien Linh is the number one striker. He scored in both matches against Indonesia and Malaysia. Back in 2019 when Vietnam faced UAE in the World Cup qualifiers, Linh scored the only goal to get Vietnam the victory.
