The Russian men’s national football team, ranked 33rd globally, will face Vietnam, placed 115th in the world, at 7:30 p.m. on September 5. Following the opening game, Thailand, 101st globally, will play against hosts Vietnam at 7:30 p.m. on September 10.

Both teams are scheduled to take place at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi.

This year has seen the Russian national team record two 4-0 wins against Serbia and Belarus in two friendly matches.

The upcoming game will mark the first time since 2019 that Vietnam will take on Thailand. In 2019, Vietnamese players under the guidance of Korean head coach Park Hang Seo were invited to attend the King’s Cup and beat hosts Thailand 1-0 in the group stage.

Most recently, in January, 2023, Vietnam drew 1-1 with Thailand at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi before then losing 2-0 in the return leg, with Thailand winning the 2023 regional championship for the second time in a row.

The ASEAN Cup, also known as the AFF Cup, is scheduled to take place from November 23 to December 21. Vietnam will take on Indonesia, alongside the Philippines, Myanmar, and Laos in Group B.

In each group, five teams will play in a round robin format, with each team playing two home matches and two away matches. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, and from then on they will compete in a home-away format.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) recently chose Kim Sang-sik of the Republic of Korea to coach the national team following Philippe Troussier’s departure.