Vietnam and Cambodia are set to face off at the Go Dau Stadium on Wednesday afternoon in an international friendly match.
The hosts will be preparing for their upcoming AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, while the visitors are competing in two friendly games during the international break.
Match preview
© Imago
Vietnam are coming into this friendly on the back of a fantastic run of results across all competitions, as Kim Sang-sik's side are undefeated in their last nine outings.
That run has coincided with the appointment of Sang-sik, who took charge of Vietnam in May 2024 and has led the side to eight wins, two draws and three defeats from his 13 games at the helm.
The impact Sang-sik has had on Vietnam is undeniable, as the South Korean took charge with the Golden Star Warriors on a seven-match losing streak, including crashing out of the AFC Asian Cup in the group stage and contributing to their third-placed finish in the second round of World Cup qualifying.
The Golden Star Warriors most recently lifted the ASEAN Championship trophy - for the third time in their history - as they defeated Thailand 5-3 on aggregate across the two-legged final.
Sang-sik will be looking for their form to continue with a sixth successive victory in the friendly on Wednesday, with Vietnam preparing to take on Laos in the first of their six AFC Asian Cup qualifying fixtures.
Vietnam will take on Cambodia in the first of their fixtures throughout this international break, while the Angkor Warriors will be competing in two friendlies during the two-week hiatus from club football.
Unlike their opponents, Cambodia are unable to qualify for either of the upcoming FIFA World Cup or AFC Asian Cup tournaments, having already crashed out of the qualifiers at earlier stages.
Cambodia suffered a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Pakistan in the first round of World Cup qualifiers, while Sri Lanka secured a penalty victory after a 2-2 draw in the Asian Cup qualification playoff round.
Koji Gyotoku initially took charge on an interim basis following the latter elimination and has since been appointed permanently, but the Japanese manager has failed to change their fortunes, with Cambodia most recently crashing out of the ASEAN Championship at the group stage.
While there is little on the line for Cambodia during this international break, with friendly matches against Vietnam and Aruba, Gyotoku will be hoping for morale-lifting triumphs over the following weeks.
However, Cambodia have an extremely miserable record against Vietnam, with the Golden Star Warriors boasting victories in all of the last five meetings across all competitions.
Team News
Vietnam's squad remains largely unchanged from the players that led them to glory in the ASEAN Championship, though Nguyen Xuan So, Nguyen Van Toan and Ho Tan Tai all miss out due to injuries they sustained during that tournament.
Their most recent outing came in the 3-2 victory over Thailand in the second leg of the final, and Sang-sik may decide to name a similar starting 11 in this match.
As for Cambodia, their most notable absentee is Japanese-born defender Hikaru Mizuno, while Chanthea, Saret Krya, Sar Ratana make up some of the players recalled to the squad.
Given Cambodia are only competing in two friendly matches during the ongoing international break, Gyotoku may decide to make several changes to the starting team on Wednesday.
Vietnam possible starting lineup:
Trieu; Manh, Chung, Dung; Thanh, Tan, Duc, Vi; Quang, Son, Hai
Cambodia possible starting lineup:
Lyheng; Krya, Ose, Visal, Baraing; Rotana, Hikaru, Chanpolin, Taylor; Coulibaly, Nieto
We say: Vietnam 4-0 Cambodia
Vietnam are in superb form heading into this match, and given they have defeated Cambodia in all of the last five meetings with an aggregate score of 16-2, we expect a victory for the hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
