Vietnamese team encouraged ahead of Thailand departure for World Cup qualifiers

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien visited the training camp and encouraged the spirit of the Vietnam men’s national team ahead of their departure for Thailand in preparation for the opening Group G match against the host in the second round of the 2022 World Cup AFC qualifiers.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien (R) and VFF President Le Khanh Hai (L) encourages head coach Park Hang-seo (second from left) and his players. (Photo: VFF)
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien (R) and VFF President Le Khanh Hai (L) encourages head coach Park Hang-seo (second from left) and his players. (Photo: VFF)

The official was joined by Deputy Minister Le Khanh Hai, who serves as the President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), VFF Permanent Vice President Tran Quoc Tuan, and VFF General Secretary Le Hoai Anh.

On behalf of the leaders of the ministry, the General Department of Sports and Physical Training and the VFF, Thien praised the players’ determination in training.

Hailing the upcoming 2022 World Cup campaign as a “big battle” of Vietnamese football in 2019, the minister asked the national squad’s coaching staff and players to try their best in each match to bring glory to the homeland.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien and the VFF leaders pose with the men's national team. (Photo: VFF)

Especially, the team need to demonstrate the strong fighting spirit and identity of Vietnamese people while competing on the international arena, he said.

Head coach Park Hang-seo expressed his gratitude for the care and encouragement from the leaders of the General Department and the VFF, affirming that he and his players will fight to the best of their abilities to live up to the expectations of the Vietnamese fans.

As scheduled, the Vietnamese team will leave for Thailand on September 1. Park’s side will then have four additional days to get familiar with the weather and stadium conditions, as well as to make last-minute preparations before the Group G opener against Thailand, on September 5.