Vietnam football hot news today April 1: Vietnam national team may face a tough group in Asian Cup 2027

Vietnam football hot news today April 1: Vietnam national team might enter a challenging group in Asian Cup 2027.

Vietnam national team could be placed in a tough group at Asian Cup 2027

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) uses FIFA rankings to determine seeding groups. Ahead of this match round, North Korea ranks 118th globally and is 18th among teams that have secured Asian Cup qualification.

However, with Thailand (world rank 93) securing a spot, North Korea is pushed out of the third seeding group, dropping to the fourth seeding group.

Vietnam national team is currently in the third seeding group and, if nothing changes, will face the risk of falling into a "group of death" consisting of North Korea along with two "powerhouses" from group 1 and group 2.

Group 1 currently has six representatives: host Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Australia, and Uzbekistan. Group 2 includes Qatar, Iraq, Jordan, UAE, Oman, and Syria.

Coach Đinh Hồng Vinh satisfied with Vietnam U23 team

Vietnam U23 national team lost 0-1 to host China U23 in the final match of the CFA Team China - Xi'an 2026 international football tournament.

With this result, Vietnam U23 placed last in the tournament with 1 point. The team drew 1-1 with North Korea U23 in their opening match, then lost two consecutive matches to Thailand U23 and China U23 with the same score of 0-1.

"This was a match we prepared thoroughly, and the players competed with a very determined spirit.

The opponent was the host and also the reigning Asian U23 runner-up, possessing significant advantages in physical strength, experience, and crowd support. However, our young players did not falter, adhered to the tactics, and fought resiliently.

Although the result was not as desired, I am satisfied with the fighting spirit of the entire team against a strong opponent right on their home ground," coach Đinh Hồng Vinh commented.

Vietnam U23 national team departed from the airport at 3:30 AM this morning to return home, flying via Xi'an - Guangzhou - Ho Chi Minh City.

Nguyễn Filip receives high rating in win against Malaysia

Goalkeeper Nguyễn Filip, when given the chance to start by coach Kim Sang Sik in the 3-1 win against Malaysia, performed well with several crucial saves.

In the 50th minute, from a corner kick by Faisal Halim, Harith Haiqal jumped high for a close-range header. Filip Nguyễn reacted quickly, diving to push the ball over the bar in a narrow margin.

His only conceded goal came from a penalty in the 77th minute, a situation where this goalkeeper had little chance to stop. Apart from that moment, he almost made no mistakes, maintaining stability throughout the 90 minutes.

His performance at Thiên Trường Stadium and the 8.2 rating after the match can be seen as affirmation of Filip Nguyễn's position in Vietnam national team's goal.

Vietnam national team wins 10 consecutive matches against Southeast Asian opponents

Vietnam national team set several milestones by defeating Malaysia 3-1 in the final Asian Cup 2027 qualifying round, including records at the Southeast Asian level.

With this victory, Vietnam equaled the record of 10 consecutive wins against Southeast Asian opponents set by Myanmar during 1966-1968. In this streak, coach Kim Sang Sik's team scored 30 goals and conceded 6 times, while Myanmar scored 24 goals and conceded only 2 times.

Indonesia's longest winning streak against regional opponents is 9 matches (1968-1969), while Thailand's is 6 matches (1993).

If including opponents outside the region, Vietnam national team has won 13 consecutive matches across all competitions, a Southeast Asian record. The second-best achievement belongs to Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore with 9 consecutive wins each.

This victory also marks the 17th time Vietnam has defeated Malaysia at the national team level.