Agencies
Doha
Bashar Resan is confident Iraq will register their third consecutive win when they take on Vietnam in their AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Group D tie at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Wednesday.
Bui Hoang Viet Anh, however, is determined that Vietnam thwart Iraq’s bid for a perfect recordas the Southeast Asian side looks to sign off with a win after suffering two defeats.
Despite having already sealed their spot in the Round of 16 following wins against Indonesia (3-1) and Japan (2-1), Resan doesn’t want Iraq to take their foot off the pedal.
“It’s a very important match, and we are proud to have taken six points from two matches. We produced good performances to advance into the next round. All players are ready, and we are aiming to collect the three points against Vietnam,” said the Qatar SC midfielder.
“Even though we are through to the Round of 16, it doesn’t mean we should not give our best in our next match. We must maintain our focus on winning matches as we will face more tests in the next stage. It is important to keep this winning momentum.
“The morale in the squad is high and there is healthy competition among the players. Every player contributes differently, and the coach will decide who will play.”
“Our aim is to be technically and physically ready, and credit should go to the management team for making us believe in ourselves.
“We don’t have any star players amongst us but we have high targets in this competition and we are happy to be competing among the top teams in Asia and we are hoping to put in the same level of performance tomorrow.”
For Bui Hoang and his teammates, their journey in the competition may be over after succumbing to defeats against Japan (4-2) and Indonesia (1-0) but the 25-year-old defender said there is still much to play for against Iraq.
“We believe that we will receive the best support from our fans when we face Iraq. It’s disappointing that we are exiting the tournament.
“Even though we are already out of the tournament, wearing the national team jersey is important and we want to do well in every match. Everyone in this team is committed to delivering their best performance,” said Bui Hong.
