Vietnam are scheduled to face Kyrgyzstan in a friendly match in Qatar next month as part of their preparations for the upcoming 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals there.

The 2023 AFC Asian Cup is slated to take place in Qatar from January 12, 2024 to February 12, 2024. 

Vietnam are drawn into Group D alongside Japan, Indonesia, and Iraq, while Kyrgyzstan are placed in Group F with Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Oman.

In preparation for the quadrennial tournament, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has sought and obtained approval from the Kyrgyzstan Football Union for a friendly between the two national teams. 

Despite Kyrgyzstan being ranked 98th globally, four places lower than Vietnam, the Central Asian side are considered a quality opponent for coach Philippe Troussier to fine-tune his Vietnamese players’ preparations.

The friendly match is scheduled for January 9, 2024 in Qatar, the same location as the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals.

As part of the preparation timeline, the Vietnamese team will assemble on December 28 in Hanoi, after Round 8 of the 2023-24 top-tier V.League 1. 

Coach Troussier is anticipated to call up 35 players for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign, including the addition of Filip Nguyen, a goalkeeper with newly-granted Vietnamese citizenship eligible to play for the national team.

“The Vietnamese team will depart for Qatar on January 5 before the friendly match with Kyrgyzstan,” VFF general secretary Duong Nghiep Khoi said. 

“This presents a valuable opportunity for both teams to finalize their line-ups before entering the tournament.”

Notably, previous encounters between Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan have been limited to the U23 level. 

In a match during the Doha Cup 2023 friendly tournament, Vietnam U23s, then led by Troussier, experienced a 4-5 defeat in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in the official 90 minutes.

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