The Vietnam-Japan game will be broadcast live on Vietnamese channel VTV5 and FPT Play.
The AFC Asian Cup is the premier association football competition contested by the senior men’s national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
It is the second-oldest continental football championship in the world after the Copa America.
The Asian Cup is held every four years, starting from the 1956 edition in Hong Kong.
The 2023 edition kicked off with hosts Qatar defeating Lebanon 3-0 in Group A on Friday.
Vietnam, who have participated in the Asian Cup twice since 1975, when the Southeast Asian nation was reunified, are considered the underdogs in this match, which is scheduled to kick off at the Al Thumama Stadium at 6:30 pm (Vietnam time).
Football experts predict that the Japanese team will achieve a resounding victory over Vietnam in this game.
Nevertheless, Vietnamese fans continue to have faith in French coach Philippe Troussier, relying on his deep understanding of Japanese football and expressing confidence in the abilities of the national football players.
Troussier has an impressive track record in Asian football, leading Japan to the Asian Cup title in 2000, a success that also saw him named the continent’s coach of the year.
Two years later, he guided Japan to the Round of 16 in the World Cup, which took place on home soil, according to Reuters.
Vietnam is placed in Group D of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, alongside strong rivals Japan, Iraq, and Indonesia.
After the match with Japan, Vietnam will face Indonesia at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in Doha at 9:30 pm on January 19.
They will then compete against Iraq at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium at 6:30 pm on January 24.
The 2023 AFC Asian Cup is being held in Qatar until February 10, featuring 24 teams competing in a round-robin format across six groups.
The top two teams from each group, as well as the four best-performing third-placed teams, will advance to the Round of 16.
Qatar, the reigning champions, are placed in Group A alongside China, Tajikistan, and Lebanon.
Group B features 2015 champions Australia, along with Uzbekistan, Syria, and India, while three-time champions Iran are set to challenge the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and Palestine in Group C.
South Korea will encounter Malaysia, Jordan, and Bahrain in Group E, while Saudi Arabia, who have won the title three times, with the most recent in 1996, will play against Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, and Oman in Group F.
