Vietnam team's first training session in Iraq

On the evening of June 8 local time, the Vietnamese team entered its first training session in Basra to prepare for the match with the host team Iraq.

The task of the Vietnamese team is not easy because in addition to having to face an opponent that is considered to be of higher level and has home field advantage, the Vietnamese team also has to quickly solve the problem of time zone difference and harsh summer weather conditions in Iraq, with peak temperatures during the day reaching 47-48 degrees Celsius.

Even when the team went out to practice at 8pm, the temperature was still above 40 degrees Celsius, very hot and uncomfortable. However, the whole team still maintained their spirit and optimism to aim for the best result in the upcoming match against Iraq.

Sharing with the players before the training session, coach Kim Sang-sik said: I know you are quite tired because you have just competed and traveled a long way. But we came here with the hope of winning against Iraq. Our goal is very clear, so I hope everyone will think positively and unite.

I want you to try to manage yourself, to recover as best as possible and be in the best condition when entering the match with Iraq. We know that the Iraqi team has just played in Indonesia so they have their own difficulties. They are just like us, tired. The team that is better prepared and has a higher desire will win. I think we can create a miracle.

The first training session of the Vietnamese team attracted the attention of many Iraqi media. Head coach Kim Sang-sik also happily took the time to answer quick interviews from the host country's reporters. The Korean coach said that the Iraqi players have many advantages over the Vietnamese players.

However, he still hopes that the Vietnamese team will have a good performance against the Iraqi team. “I know that Iraqi people are very fond of football. We will certainly face great pressure from 65,000 spectators in the upcoming match. But we came here with great hope of a victory. We will try our best to achieve the best result,” coach Kim Sang-sik concluded.

Meanwhile, captain Do Hung Dung also showed great confidence in response to questions from the Iraqi media. Do Hung Dung said that the Vietnamese team is trying to adapt to the weather conditions in Iraq to be ready for the match.

“It will be very difficult for us to compete in the summer here. The humidity is low and everything is difficult. However, we still have 4 days to adjust and adapt to everything. We know Iraq is a very strong opponent and can be in the top 5 in Asia. Although it still depends on the results of the matches against the Philippines and Indonesia, we will try our best to get a good result against Iraq,” Do Hung Dung emphasized.

As one of the players who played the full 90 minutes in the first leg match that lost 2-3 to Iraq at My Dinh Stadium, defender Bui Hoang Viet Anh also highly appreciated the strength of the West Asian team. “Iraq is very strong, the Vietnamese team knows that. The upcoming match will be very difficult. The Vietnamese team will have to try to play with the highest determination and concentration,” said Bui Hoang Viet Anh.

The defender born in 1999 also sent a message to the numerous fans in his hometown: “The fans are very important to the team at this time. It has been a long time since the team has won, hopefully in the upcoming match the team will continue to receive the support of the fans to achieve the best results”./.