Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Vietnam’s head coach Park Hang-seo is confident ofpicking up at least a point when his team play Iraq in their opening match ofGroup D at the Asian Cup campaign today in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

The Republic of Korean manager said Group D is difficult as Iran and Iraq are verystrong teams in Asia. Vietnam’s first match is against Iraq whose players areincisive, smart and had their good attacking skills. A win would hugely boost Vietnam’schances of reaching the knock-out stages.

Vietnam are world No 100, 12 steps lower than Iraq. This is the second timethe Vietnamese team have played in the tournament compared to eight for theIraqis.

Park added that over the last year his team have gained big tournamentexperience in China (Asian U23 Championship) and Indonesia (Asian Games).

He said he receives strong support from the players who were asked to strictlyfollow his tactics and philosophy.

Park said the Vietnamese coaching board watched their rivals carefully andwould select the most suitable players for each game.

The coach will have all strong players for the first match Nguyen Van Toan andNguyen Trong Hoang have recovered from injuries.

"I am excited and feel comfortable to play the first match and hope tohave positive result," said Toan, who expected to beat Iraq again like heand teammates did at the Asian U23 Championship in January 2018.

"In their line-up there are six U23 players. This time we meet in thelevel of the national team surely they would play with strong determination.However, we are confident and would work harder," he said.

“We have made great progress recently but the Asian Cup is a differentcompetition which is for the strongest teams. We have to respect all teams. Wecannot rely on our success in 2018. All of us must do our best," saidstriker Toan who did not feature much at the AFF Cup which Vietnam won lastmonth.

Park also has Hoang back in action. The key midfielder is a box to box playerwho can defend as well as attack.

His important role made Park bring him to Qatar in Vietnam’s training courseand then to the UAE and wait for his recovery.

Asian top 15 best footballer Nguyen Quang Hai is also a weapon for Park. Theplaymaker is well known with his impeccable technique, a bag full of tricks,blistering pace and a keen eye for goal, especially from long-range anddead-ball situations.

Iraqi midfielder Safaa Hadi said his team is ready for the match. Playersare full of strength and he wants three important points. They haveresponsibility to make their supporters happy.

He said Vietnam are not an underdog but a quality team. Iraq wants a win tomake it a good start which will be key for their campaign’s success.

Coach Srecko Katanec considered a match versus Vietnam tough.

Speaking on the-afc.com he said: "These days every match is difficult.Why? Because you can have a bad day and lose what on paper should have been aneasy match. That is why I respect all teams. For me, as a coach, the moredifficult matches are against Yemen and Vietnam. They are also here to showthey belong. They will fight. We will fight. Nothing is easy."

The Slovenian said Iraq had a great past. They had a lot of talentedplayers and were there to do their best but the result depended on a lot ofthings along with luck.

The match will begin at 8.30pm from Zayed Sport City Stadium and be liveaired on VTV6 and Fox Sports channels.-VNS/VNA