Vietnam National Team brings international match to Thai Nguyen for the first time

The Vietnam National Team will make its debut in Thai Nguyen in a friendly against Myanmar, a key final test before the 2026 AFF Cup.

The Vietnam national football team will play its first international match at Thai Nguyen Stadium when facing Myanmar in a friendly on July 18. This is not only a notable sports event for local fans but also an important dress rehearsal for the team led by coach Kim Sang Sik before embarking on the journey to defend the AFF Cup 2026 title.

To prepare for this event, the Thai Nguyen Provincial People's Committee held a coordination meeting with the participation of provincial leaders, representatives from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), and relevant departments and agencies. Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Duong Van Luong, affirmed that the locality has agreed on the policy to cooperate with the VFF, while pledging to create all favorable conditions to organize the match safely,professionally, and successfully.

According to Thai Nguyen provincial leaders, hosting a national team match holds special significance—it not only meets the expectations of a large number of fans but also helps promote the local image, culture, and tourism. This is also an opportunity for Thai Nguyen to demonstrate its capacity to organize large-scale sports events in the future.

On the VFF side, General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu stated that the Federation has established a Steering Committee and a Match Organizing Committee to oversee all professional and organizational aspects. The VFF also requested the province to set up a local Organizing Committee soon in order to coordinate the implementation of tasks according to plan, ensuring all items are completed before kickoff.

According to the plan, preparations will focus on several important areas such as security, safety, traffic, medical services, electricity, communications, ticketing, as well as arranging training grounds, accommodation, and living conditions for both teams. The organizational plans are based on experience from previous international matches and will continue to be adjusted to suit the actual conditions in Thai Nguyen.

It is expected that the Vietnam and Myanmar teams will arrive in Thai Nguyen on July 15 or 16 to familiarize themselves with the pitch and complete their preparations before the match on July 18. For Coach Kim Sang Sik, this will be an important opportunity to review his squad, test formations, and refine gameplay before entering the AFF Cup 2026, where the Vietnam team aims to successfully defend its Southeast Asian championship title.