The Vietnamese team will face Laos in the opening match of the AFF Cup 2024, taking place at 8:00 p.m. on December 9 at the Laos national stadium. The Vietnamese team has won against Laos throughout the history of the AFF Cup, but coach Ha Hyeok-jun of Laos believes that with their current form, his students are ready to welcome Vietnam.
“The Laos team did not have much time to prepare. But with the current time, we tried to do the best we could,” coach Ha Hyeok-jun affirmed.
Coach Ha Hyeok-jun
During preparations for the 2024 AFF Cup, Laos lost 1-3 to Malaysia, but then had a surprising 1-1 draw against Thailand. According to Mr. Ha Hyeok-jun, this result helps Laos gain more confidence for the 2024 AFF Cup.
“The whole team has more confidence, but not arrogance. I teach the players to be confident, but keep their feet on the ground to move forward. The Laos team is ready,” coach Ha Hyeok-jun shared. shall.
Mr. Ha Hyeok-jun used to play and coach in the K-League, so he once competed with coach Kim Sang-sik. According to the coach of the Laos team, he and coach Kim Sang-sik are friends. Both always maintain respect for each other.
“I respect coach Kim Sang-sik very much. He is a detailed person, like a tiger of Korean football,” coach Ha Hyeok-jun added.
What’s special about the Vietnamese team lineup at AFF Cup 2024?
Mr. Ha Hyeok-jun is confident in Laos’ performance
The Lao coach also shared the difficulty of having many players playing abroad, but the team lacked time to assemble the squad. “We just focus on what we have,” coach Ha Hyeok-jun commented.
In the last 4 matches they met at the AFF Cup, the Vietnamese team won all matches against Laos, scoring 11 goals and conceding no goals. Mr. Ha Hyeok-jun assessed the Vietnamese team as “one of the strongest teams in the region”, but emphasized that Laos will prepare the best and devote everything they have.
