PHÚ THỌ — The Vietnam national football team is set to face Thailand tonight in the first leg of the 2024 ASEAN Cup Finals, which will take place at Việt Trì Stadium in Phú Thọ province.
Coach Kim Sang-sik has made it clear that he is aiming for nothing less than victory in his first tournament in charge of the national team. “We have to keep moving forward; my whole career depends on winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup,” Kim said emphatically.
With the support of an ardent home crowd and an extra day of recovery compared to their rivals, the Vietnamese team is ready to unleash their full potential against Thailand. Despite the absences of Nguyễn Văn Toàn and Hồ Tấn Tài due to injuries, Vietnam are confident in their ability to field a strong team.
The return of defender Vũ Văn Thanh, who had recovered from an injury suffered in the second leg of the semi-finals against Singapore, is a major asset. After training separately during his recovery, Thanh is back with the team, bringing his fiery playing style and valuable experience at this critical time.
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Furthermore, in the offensive sector, the inclusion of naturalized attacker Nguyễn Xuân Son added a new layer of firepower to Vietnam’s offensive strategy. In their last three matches, the team scored an impressive total of ten goals, of which Son contributed five, cementing his status as a key player for Vietnam’s push to the final.
Currently, Son leads the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot, surpassing four rivals, including Shawal Anuar of Singapore and Patrik Gustavsson of Thailand, all of whom have scored four goals in this tournament.
On the other side of the pitch, Thailand coach Masatada Ishii acknowledged the threat Son poses, calling him a “dangerous player with scoring abilities at the top.” Ishii commented: “We have studied Vietnam’s matches in depth, but reality can often diverge from theoretical preparations. Our goal remains to secure the best possible result while playing away.”
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Historically, ASEAN Cup encounters between Vietnam and Thailand have seen the latter take a lead, with seven wins in 13 matches. Thailand won the championship in 2020 and 2022, while Vietnam celebrated triumphs in 2008 and 2018.
Referee Salman Falahi from Qatar will oversee this highly anticipated first leg, assisted by assistant referees Yousef Aref Al Shamari and Zahy Snaid Al Shammari. Malaysian official Tuan Mohd Yaasin will serve as fourth-place referee, while VAR duties will be handled by Andesit Lestyanto of Indonesia.
At 34, Falahi has a wealth of experience as a FIFA referee since 2017, having officiated key matches in the AFC Champions League and World Cup qualifiers. He previously refereed the semi-final match between Vietnam U22s and Cambodia U22s at the 30th Sea Games and recently supervised the Indonesia vs Vietnam match in the second round of 2026 World Cup qualifying, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Vietnam.
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