The aim of the gathering is to prepare for upcoming fixtures in the World Cup qualifying round in the Asian region, with games set to be played in October and November. 

It is estimated that up to 30 players will take part in the gatherings, with the large number necessary since the national squad has almost gone an entire year without meeting. 

The reunion of Vietnam’s U22 team will signal the start of preparations for the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games which will be hosted by the nation next year.

Both the senior national squad and Vietnam’s U22s had been scheduled to take part in a series of training sessions from August 10 to August 16 in Hanoi, although due to complicated developments relating to the novel coronavirus the plans were rescheduled.

The upcoming World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region will see the senior Vietnamese side play an away tie against Malaysia on October 13. Following this the national team will then have a period of 17 days in November in which to prepare for the remaining two fixtures of Group G, starting with a game against Indonesia on November 12, before finishing with a clash against the United Arab Emirates on November 17.

Elsewhere, the ASEAN Football Federation’s Emergency Committee has proposed postponing its flagship tournament, the AFF Cup, and pushing it back to April, 2021.

The gathering of both national teams is seen as a necessary step in order to assess the current level of the nation’s footballers’ whilst seeking fresh talent who can represent the country at future international tournaments. VOV