Competing with the Philippines in a stadium full of beautiful memories

Vietnam team to play Philippines again

The Vietnamese team will have the chance to meet the Philippines again at the AFF Cup 2024. The two teams have faced each other twice in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and will face each other again in the Southeast Asian playground.

The match between Vietnam and the Philippines will take place at Rizal Memorial Stadium at 8:00 p.m. on December 18. This is a stadium with many beautiful memories for Vietnamese football.

Five years ago, U.22 Vietnam won the SEA Games for the first time in history when they defeated U.22 Indonesia 3-0 in the final at Rizal Memorial. The Vietnamese women's team also beat Thailand 1-0 in the final in the Philippines to win the 2019 SEA Games gold medal.

Lịch thi đấu đội tuyển Việt Nam: So tài Philippines ở sân đấu đầy kỷ niệm đẹp- Ảnh 1. — Vietnam team to play Philippines again

In the last two away matches in the Philippines (Panaad Stadium in 2018 and Rizal Memorial Stadium in 2023), the Vietnamese team also won all matches. The artificial pitch in the capital Manila of the Philippines has made it difficult for many opponents, but Vietnam always found a way to overcome it.

In Group B of the 2024 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese team is in the same group as Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos. While the Vietnamese team is the reigning runner-up of the tournament, the Philippines was eliminated in the group stage of the 2022 AFF Cup. The last time the team nicknamed "The Azkals" was in the semi-finals was 6 years ago, at the 2018 AFF Cup.

Advantages for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team

The Vietnamese team has an overwhelming advantage over the Philippine team. In the last 5 matches, Vietnam won all, scoring 12 goals and conceding 5.

The Vietnamese team defeated the Philippines 3-1 in the group stage of the 2014 AFF Cup, then defeated the opponent twice (both by 2-1) in the first and second leg of the 2018 AFF Cup semi-finals. In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team defeated the Philippines 2-0 in the first leg away in November 2023, then came from behind to defeat the opponent with a 3-2 result in the second leg in June.

The Philippines team is also the opponent in the debut match of coach Kim Sang-sik with the Vietnam team.

Philippine football has declined, as the national team was eliminated in the group stage of the last two AFF Cups (2020, 2022), then finished bottom of the group in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

The team nicknamed "The Azkals" still uses many players of foreign origin, but the lack of cohesion in the playing style of names that do not often play together, combined with a loose foundation in the national championship, has prevented the Philippine team from taking off.

In the match at 8:00 p.m. on December 18, the Vietnamese team has a great opportunity to take all 3 points.