Argentina's coach finalizes warm-up opponents for Vietnam before the Asian Cup

Vietnam's futsal squad is set to take important warm-up steps for the 2026 Asian Finals through two private friendly matches in Ho Chi Minh City facing a significant rival.

Coach Diego Giustozzi has officially announced the Vietnam futsal team roster to prepare for the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship. According to the plan, the team will gather in Ho Chi Minh City from January 2, 2026, marking the start of a vital preparation phase aimed at the continental competition. A key highlight of this training camp is two friendly matches against Afghanistan’s futsal team, both held in Ho Chi Minh City.

Specifically, coach Diego Giustozzi’s squad will face Afghanistan’s futsal team on January 18 and 20, 2026. To meet professional standards and facilitate lineup experiments, these matches will be played behind closed doors. This is seen as a critical opportunity for the coaching staff to review the squad and assess each player’s form before finalizing the roster.

After these friendlies, Coach Diego Giustozzi will trim the squad before the entire team departs for Indonesia on January 24, 2026. At the 2026 Asian Futsal Championship, Vietnam’s futsal team is placed in Group B alongside strong opponents including Thailand, Kuwait, and Lebanon. According to the schedule, the team will face Kuwait on January 27, Lebanon on January 29, and Thailand on January 31.

This training camp comes after the coaching staff conducted a thorough review following the performance at SEA Games 33. Although the team made a historic 1-0 win over Indonesia after six years without victory, an unexpected loss to Malaysia in the opening match meant Vietnam’s futsal team did not meet its goals and finished fourth overall.

Based on this reality, the call-up list for the Asian campaign has notable personnel changes. Two veterans, fixo Pham Duc Hoa and pivo Nguyen Minh Tri, are missing due to injury and form. Conversely, the team welcomes back experienced alas such as Tran Thai Huy, Chau Doan Phat, and Ngo Ngoc Son, who are expected to strengthen the attacking power.

The 2026 Asian Futsal Championship will take place from January 27 to February 7, 2026, in Jakarta, featuring the top 16 teams on the continent. Given the challenging group, the two friendlies against Afghanistan in Ho Chi Minh City are considered important warm-ups, helping Vietnam’s futsal team refine their tactics and prepare for the tough challenges ahead.