Final Round of 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers

National team arrive in UAE, ready for clash with China

The Vietnamese team left Hanoi for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the early morning on October 1 to prepare for their third Group B match against China in the final round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the UAE Nguyen Manh Tuan presents flowers to the Vietnamese team at Dubai International Airport. (Photo: VFF)
Vietnamese Ambassador to the UAE Nguyen Manh Tuan presents flowers to the Vietnamese team at Dubai International Airport. (Photo: VFF)

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Upon their arrival, coach Park Hang-seo and players were warmly welcomed by Vietnamese Ambassador to the UAE Nguyen Manh Tuan, the embassy staff and Vietnamese fans living and working in the Gulf country.

Tuan expressed his belief in the team’s spirit and preparations, wishing them victory in the upcoming game, scheduled to take place at Sharjah Stadium on October 7.

The team land at Dubai International Airport after a six-hour flight. (Photo: VFF)

Delegation head Nguyen Sy Hien and head coach Park Hang-seo thanked the ambassador and fans for their welcome, affirming that the whole team will strive to achieve the best possible result.

Earlier, Park’s troops spent more than six hours in flight. It then took nearly two hours for the whole squad to take RT-PCR tests, collect luggage and perform entry procedures at Dubai International Airport.

The team members are sampled for RT-PCR testing at the airport. (Photo: VFF)

This evening, the players will convene their first training session to prepare for the China match.

According to the latest announcement from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the clash between China and Vietnam will take place at 9pm local time on October 7 (00:00am on October 8 Vietnamese time), instead of 7pm local time (10pm Vietnam time) as originally scheduled.

After the game, Vietnam will travel to Oman for the next group match against the hosts on October 12.

The players are now ready for the new challenge.