The Vietnam national football team are likely to be drawn against strong opponents in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup 2023 finals as they have been placed in the number three seed group, Pot 3, ahead of the tournament’s draw in May.
In accordance with the latest FIFA rankings, Vietnam have been put in Pot 3 together with Bahrain, Syria, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, and Lebanon.
Vietnam may be drawn in the same group alongside regional powerhouses like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, from the other seed groups.
The hosts and defending champions Qatar are in Pot 1, alongside Japan, Iran, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
Pot 2 sees the presence of Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Uzbekistan, China, and Jordan, that all have higher positions than Vietnam in the FIFA rankings.
Finally, Pot 4 draws the participation of India, Tajikistan, Hong Kong (China), and three other Southeast Asian representatives: Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The 2023 Asian Cup will take place from January 12 to February 10, 2024, to avoid the hot weather in Qatar. The draw will be held in Doha on May 11.
The 24 squads competing at the event will be divided into six groups. The top two group winners and four best third-placed teams will secure berths at the Round of 16.
Previously, Vietnam advanced to the quarter-final stage of the 2019 Asian Cup held in the UAE.