Hanoi (VNA) - EitherVietnam or Uzbekistan will become the new U23 football champion on January 27,after their final match at the Changzhu Olympic Sport Centre in China.

During a press conference on January 26,coach Park Hang-seo praised Uzbekistan and stated that they have worked hard tofind out their weaknesses.

“I think Uzbekistan have a strongand aggressive playing style. Individually, their players are skillful andphysically strong, and as a team, they are well organised and possess greatspeed. So, we must play at our best. We met them at a friendly tournament inThailand, where we lost 1-2, but they have been much better. Their presence inthe final proves that,” Park said.

Park is also impressed with threeplayers - defender Akramjon Komilov, midfielder Jasurbek Yakhshiboev, andforward Zabikhillo Urinboev.

He urged his players to stay calmand collected, as they have done before the last match.

“Tomorrow’s match is very important.I told my players that the most important thing is to maintain their composurethroughout the match, where both sides have an equal chance of winning,” Parkstressed.

“We have analysed our rivals andpracticed well for the match. I want our players to prepare calmly without worrying.We are just one step away from making history for Vietnamese football. I wantto pass on confidence and determination to them, to achieve the best result inthe final,” he noted while adding that cold weather could be a disadvantage forhis team, but it is just one of the difficulties that they have to overcome.

From China, Park further said thathe was moved to see images of fans wildly celebrating and encouraging his squadfrom Vietnam.

“With the sight of Vietnamesefootball supporters celebrating on the streets of Vietnam, our players couldnot believe it when they saw it on social media,” he stated on the-afc.com.

“When I saw that, I was reallyhappy. But I also understood more about my own ability as a coach, and I amhoping not to disappoint the Vietnamese supporters. We can fulfill the wishesof all the Vietnamese people,” he further added.

Captain Luong Xuan Truong statedthat he and his teammates are in good spirits and are totally focused on thegame.

“We understand our tasks andresponsibilities. We will do our best for our supporters. We will try to givethem a gift on Saturday,” he said.

[Vietnam’s U23 team shakes international media]

Meanwhile, heroic goalkeeper BuiTien Dung said that his team are ready for the match, which may be played inthe snow.

“For some of us, it will be ourfirst time playing in snow. It will be difficult for us, but we will try toadapt to the conditions. We played Uzbekistan last December, and I think thatthey are strong, but we have done well too. We will play at 100 percent,” Dungadded.

Park and his team are also supportedby the team’s technical director, Jurgen Gede, who previously worked with theUzbekistan national team.

Gede was an assistant coach in2003-04 and became head coach in 2005-06. He was replaced by the current coach,Ravshan Khaydarov, who also manages the U23 squad.

During the tournament, Gede wasassigned to watch all Vietnam’s rivals, and he provided valuable advice to helpthe team overcome their challenges.

Apart from Gede, the 59-year-oldPark still has other special weapons. “I told you about a special thing. Pleasewait to see how it will work out in the final. Just reveal that it will comefrom my players,” he further stressed.

The Uzbek coach, Khaydarov, wascautious when talking about Vietnam, whose are masters of the counter-attackinggame, but he was adamant that his team’s achievements in the tournament willcount for nothing when they face an impressive Vietnamese team.

“Of course, we are very happy to beplaying in the final, and it is an important game for us,” he said on the-afc.com.

“We are expecting a very tough gameagainst Vietnam, who have done very well during the tournament. It is thefinal, and both teams will obviously try hard to win the game. We are ready tofight as hard as we can,” he added.

“We have prepared well over the pastfew days, and I hope that my players will play at their optimum level onSaturday,” he further added.

Meanwhile, captain ZabikhilloUrinboev said that Uzbekistan are strong as a team, and each player does theirjob well.

His teammate, Odiljon Xamrobekov,said that Uzbekistan needs to be confident and respect their rivals, because Vietnamare a team of excellent players, who are skillful and never gave up. Otherwise,they may suffer a disappointing result, he added.

He stressed that some Uzbek playersare exhausted and they need to recover as quickly as possible, because theyhave the opportunity to win their first U23 title.

The final match will be aired livefrom 3pm Hanoi time on VTV2, VTV6 and Fox Sport Channel.

In the latest fixture of thetournament held on January 26, Akram Afif scored the only goal of the game, and apenalty save by Yousof Hassan sealed a 1-0 win for Qatar over the Republic ò Korea inthe third place play-off match.-VNA