Akira Nishino: ‘We are ready to defeat Vietnam’

Thailand’s head coach Akira Nishino has vowed to earn three points during this week’s World Cup qualifier against Vietnam.

Following a 1-2 defeat to Malaysia last week, Thailand desperately needs a win in Hanoi. They have even rented a private training field to keep Vietnamese media at bay.

“I am confident about my players. We are familiar with My Dinh stadium and the pressure here.

“I’m fully aware of our situation. We are ready to defeat Vietnam and advance to the next World Cup 2022 qualifying stage. Our advantage is that no player is injured. We must ensure that the mistakes we made in the Malaysia match will not be repeated,” Nishino said during Thailand’s latest training session.

When asked about the Vietnam-UAE match last week, he said, “The UAE was downed to 10 men, giving Vietnam more chances. Vietnam has strong midfielders and we must prepare thoroughly.”

Vietnam is leading group G with 10 points after 3 matches while Thailand slid to third place after the Malaysia defeat.

The Vietnam-Thailand match will kick off at 8:00 p.m at My Dinh stadium on Tuesday.