Friendly tie with Iraq canceled amid COVID-19 fears

The Vietnamese national men’s football team had planned to take on Iraq in a friendly match on March 26 as a means of preparing for their crucial upcoming fixture against Malaysia which will take place in the Asian zone’s second qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup on March 31.

The move comes following the Iraq Football Association suggesting that the friendly could be canceled because of fears relating to the COVID-19 epidemic.

The VFF accepted the suggestion from the Iraq Football Association, adding that they have informed head coach Park Hang-seo and have tasked the coaching team with ensuring that the squad enjoys a good preparation in the buildup to their clash against Malaysia.

The Vietnam squad are scheduled to meet on March 21 in the south of the country in order to climatise the players with warmer weather conditions ahead of their crucial game against Malaysia.

Having played five matches during the current round of World Cup qualification, Vietnam are currently top of Group G with 11 points followed by Malaysia, Thailand, the UAE, and Indonesia. Malaysia are in second place, trailing Vietnam by two points.