Coach Park Hang-seo: “We do not fear any opponents”

Vietnam and the host team will clash in a much-anticipated match of the 2019 King’s Cup at Buriram’s Chang Arena tonight. Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Park Hang-seo emphasised that the Thais no longer scare his Vietnamese side.

"We are not scared by any opponents, not even Japan or the Republic of Korea. Thailand are a strong team, but we have also made great efforts to claim the AFF Cup trophy last year. We always keep trying to progress further. I constantly tell my players to play to the best of their ability. We might win or lose, but the important thing is what we learn after each match," the 60-year-old tactician said.

Remarking on the absence of midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin from the Thai squad, Park affirmed that Vietnam would not change their playstyle regardless of the opponents’ loss. "Chanathip is a talented player and is well-known to many Vietnamese fans. We will not change our playstyle because of his absence. Vietnam do not change because of a player on the opposite team".

At the press briefing, the Republic of Korea tactician also rectified the false information published by the Thai media over recent days. Accordingly, he denied the information saying that he did not speak highly of the King’s Cup tournament.

"I would like to rectify a content misunderstood by the Thai side. Some Thai newspapers have reported that I do not highly appreciate the King’s Cup. This is not true. I did not say that. King’s Cup is a long-standing traditional tournament of Thailand with significant contributions to Asian football. I myself had the chance to attend the tournament as a player in the past.

"At the press conference in Vietnam, I just mentioned the difficulties in summoning players for the national team because V.League is currently in a fierce stage. In addition, the players will not have good fitness after travelling the long distance from Hanoi to Buriram. I would like to thank the Thailand Football Federation for inviting us to attend the tournament, and request that the Thai media agencies correct the false information," he stated.

Addressing the press conference, Vietnam captain Que Ngoc Hai emphasised the Golden Dragons’ strong confidence ahead of tonight’s clash with Thailand: "The superior success of Vietnamese football in 2018 and the opening half of 2019 has given a strong boost to our confidence against regional and continental opponents. King’s Cup will be an ideal chance for us to prepare for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The Vietnamese squad respect but do not fear any opponents".