NEWS
【Scouting report】Three strong sides that have made great strides in recent years (AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023) - Vietnam, Iraq, and Indonesia National Team
10 January 2024
SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) will face Vietnam, Iraq and Indonesia in the group stage of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, three teams that happened to be drawn in Group F of the FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification (the other team being the Philippines).
Vietnam are led by coach Philippe TROUSSIER, who took over in February last year. The Frenchman, who led Japan for four years from 1998 and helped them reach the round of 16 for the first time at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, is also in charge of Vietnam's U-23 side and is looking to take the country's burgeoning football to new heights through the recruitment of young players. Packed with agile, technically gifted players, they have shown in recent years that they can compete with the likes of Japan. This was evident in the AFC qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, where Vietnam, who were making their first ever appearance in the final round, lost 0-1 at home to Japan but drew 1-1 away at Saitama Stadium 2002. The country was ranked 94th in the FIFA Ranking released on 21 December last year, the highest in Southeast Asia.
Iraq, under Spanish coach Jesus CASAS, proved their mettle by winning the Arabian Gulf Cup, a biennial competition for the eight members of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation, on home soil in January last year. They currently top their group after a 5-1 win over Indonesia and a 1-0 away win over Vietnam in World Cup qualifiers and have made a good start to their quest for a first World Cup appearance since the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico™. They will be keen to build on that momentum and win their first Asian Cup title since 2007. They will be facing Japan for the first time since the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ AFC Qualifiers (Road to Russia). Although they lost the away leg 1-2 at Saitama Stadium in 2002, they drew 1-1 in the second leg at neutral ground in Iran. The tenacity that led to the “Agony of Doha” is still with them, as they showed in the Arabian Gulf Cup final when they beat Oman 3-2 with a late goal scored in the second half of extra time.
It has been 35 years since Indonesia and Japan last played each other in June 1989, in which Japan won 5-0 in the first round of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ AFC qualifiers at Nishigaoka Soccer Stadium. However, Indonesia have become one of the fastest growing teams in recent years, especially since coach SHIN Tae-yong, a former Korea Republic international, took over in December 2019. The mastermind behind Seongnam FC's 2010 AFC Champions League triumph and Korea Republic's 2-0 win over Germany at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ has now guided Indonesia to their first AFC Asian Cup qualification in 17 years. Tokyo Verdy's Pratama ARHAN also played in the World Cup qualifiers, where the team had played two matches before last November, drawing one and losing one.
Vietnam National Team
Results of last 10 matches
(H: Home, A: Away, N: Neutral ground, ○: Win, △: Draw, ●: Loss)
*As of 8 January 2024
13 January 2023 | △2-2 (H) Thailand | AFF Championship |
---|---|---|
16 January 2023 | ●0-1 (A) Thailand | AFF Championship |
15 June 2023 | ○1-0 (H) Hong Kong | International Friendly Match |
20 June 2023 | ○1-0 (H) Syria | International Friendly Match |
11 September 2023 | ○2-0 (H) Palestine | International Friendly Match |
10 October 2023 | ●0-2 (A) China PR | International Friendly Match |
13 October 2023 | ●0-2 (N) Uzbekistan | International Friendly Match |
17 October 2023 | ●0-6 (A) Korea Republic | International Friendly Match |
16 November 2023 | ○2-0 (A) Philippines | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
21 November 2023 | ●0-1 (H) Iraq | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
Record against Japan
1 win, 1 draw, 7 losses (6 goals, 20 against)
*Including matches from the Republic of South Vietnam-era
10 August 1961 | ○3-2 | Merdeka Tournament 1961 |
---|---|---|
12 August 1963 | ●1-5 | Merdeka Tournament 1963 |
10 October 1967 | ●0-1 | Games of the XIX Olympiad (Mexico 1968) AFC Men’s Olympic Qualification |
20 May 1973 | ●0-4 | 1974 FIFA World Cup Germany™ AFC/OFC Qualification |
16 July 2007 | ●1-4 | AFC Asian Cup 2007 |
7 October 2011 | ●0-1 | KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2011 |
24 January 2019 | ●0-1 | AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 |
11 November 2021 | ●0-1 | FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualification (Road to Qatar) - AFC final round |
29 March 2022 | △1-1 | FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualification (Road to Qatar) - AFC final round |
Results at the FIFA World Cup™
Appearances: None
*Achieved its independence from France in 1945
1950 Did not participate
1954 Did not participate
1958 Did not participate
1962 Did not participate
1966 Did not participate
1970 Did not participate
1974 Eliminated in the qualifier
1978 Did not participate
1982 Did not participate
1986 Did not participate
1990 Did not participate
1994 Eliminated in the qualifier
1998 Eliminated in the qualifier
2002 Eliminated in the qualifier
2006 Eliminated in the qualifier
2010 Eliminated in the qualifier
2014 Eliminated in the qualifier
2018 Eliminated in the qualifier
2022 Eliminated in the qualifier
Iraq National Team
Results of last 10 matches
(H: Home, A: Away, N: Neutral ground, ○: Win, △: Draw, ●: Loss)
*As of 8 January 2024
19 January 2023 | ○3-2 (EX) (H) Oman | Arabian Gulf Cup |
---|---|---|
26 March 2023 | ●0-2 (A) Russia | International Friendly Match |
16 June 2023 | ●0-1 (N) Colombia | International Friendly Match |
7 September 2023 | △2-2 (PK5-4) (N) India | International Friendly Match (King's Cup) |
10 September 2023 | △2-2 (PK5-4) (A) Thailand | International Friendly Match (King's Cup) |
13 October 2023 | △0-0 (PK5-6) (N) Qatar | 2023 Jordan International Tournament |
17 October 2023 | △2-2 (PK5-3) (A) Jordan | 2023 Jordan International Tournament |
16 November 2023 | ○5-1 (H) Indonesia | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
21 November 2023 | ○1-0 (A) Vietnam | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
6 January 2024 | ●0-1 (N) Korea Republic | International Friendly Match |
Record against Japan
3 wins, 3 draws, 7 losses (10 goals, 19 against)
13 July 1978 | △0-0 | Merdeka Tournament 1978 |
---|---|---|
18 September 1981 | ○2-0 | Merdeka Tournament 1981 |
28 November 1982 | ○1-0 (EX) | 9th Asian Games (Delhi) |
21 April 1984 | ○2-1 | Games of the XXIII Olympiad (Los Angeles 1984) AFC/OFC Men’s Olympic Qualification |
28 October 1993 | △2-2 | 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™ Qualification - AFC final round |
24 October 2000 | ●1-4 | AFC Asian Cup Lebanon 2000 |
12 February 2004 | ●0-2 | International Friendly Match |
11 September 2012 | ●0-1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Qualification - AFC final round |
11 June 2013 | ●0-1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Qualification - AFC final round |
16 January 2015 | ●0-1 | AFC Asian Cup 2015 Australia |
11 June 2015 | ●0-4 | KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2015 |
6 October 2016 | ●1-2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Qualification (Road to Russia) - AFC final round |
13 June 2017 | △1-1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Qualification (Road to Russia) - AFC final round |
Results at the FIFA World Cup™
Appearances: Once
1930 Did not participate
1934 Did not participate
1938 Did not participate
1950 Did not participate
1954 Did not participate
1958 Did not participate
1962 Did not participate
1966 Did not participate
1970 Did not participate
1974 Eliminated in the qualifier
1978 Did not participate
1982 Eliminated in the qualifier
1986 Group Stage
1990 Eliminated in the qualifier
1994 Eliminated in the qualifier
1998 Eliminated in the qualifier
2002 Eliminated in the qualifier
2006 Eliminated in the qualifier
2010 Eliminated in the qualifier
2014 Eliminated in the qualifier
2018 Eliminated in the qualifier
2022 Eliminated in the qualifier
Indonesia National Team
Results of last 10 matches
(H: Home, A: Away, N: Neutral ground, ○: Win, △: Draw, ●: Loss)
*As of 8 January 2024
25 March 2023 | ○3-1 (H) Burundi | International Friendly Match |
---|---|---|
28 March 2023 | △2-2 (H) Burundi | International Friendly Match |
14 June 2023 | △0-0 (H) Palestine | International Friendly Match |
19 June 2023 | ●0-2 (H) Argentina | International Friendly Match |
8 September 2023 | ○2-0 (H) Turkmenistan | International Friendly Match |
12 October 2023 | ○6-0 (H) Brunei Darussalam | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
17 October 2023 | ○6-0 (A) Brunei Darussalam | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
16 November 2023 | ●1-5 (A) Iraq | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
21 November 2023 | △1-1 (A) Philippines | FIFA World Cup 26™ / AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ Preliminary Joint Qualification |
5 January 2024 | ●0-1 (H) Libya | International Friendly Match |
Record against Japan
6 wins, 2 draws, 10 losses (25 goals, 39 against)
*Including matches from the Dutch East Indies-era
13 May 1934 | ○7-1 | 1934 Far Eastern Championship Games |
---|---|---|
1 May 1954 | ○5-3 | 2nd Asian Games (Manila) |
15 August 1961 | ○2-0 | International Friendly Match |
8 August 1970 | ●3-4 | Merdeka Tournament 1970 |
16 December 1970 | ●1-2 | 6th Asian Games (Bangkok) |
6 August 1972 | ○1-0 | Pesta Sukan Cup 1972 |
7 August 1975 | ●1-4 | Merdeka Tournament 1975 |
10 August 1976 | ●0-6 | Merdeka Tournament 1976 |
15 July 1978 | ○2-1 | Merdeka Tournament 1978 |
31 May 1979 | ●0-4 | Japan Cup 1979 |
11 July 1979 | △0-0 | Merdeka Tournament 1979 |
28 March 1980 | ●0-2 | Games of the XXII Olympiad (Moscow 1980) AFC Men’s Olympic Qualification |
24 February 1981 | ○2-0 | International Friendly Match |
14 September 1981 | ●0-2 | Merdeka Tournament 1981 |
8 April 1987 | ●0-3 | Games of the XXIV Olympiad (Seoul 1988) AFC Men’s Olympic Qualification |
26 June 1987 | ●1-2 | Games of the XXIV Olympiad (Seoul 1988) AFC Men’s Olympic Qualification |
28 May 1989 | △0-0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ Qualification - AFC first round |
11 June 1989 | ●0-5 | 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™ Qualification - AFC first round |
Results at the FIFA World Cup™
Appearances: Once
1930 Did not participate
1934 Did not participate
1938 Round of 16 *As Dutch East Indies
1950 Did not participate
1954 Did not participate
1958 Did not participate
1962 Did not participate
1966 Did not participate
1970 Did not participate
1974 Eliminated in the qualifier
1978 Eliminated in the qualifier
1982 Eliminated in the qualifier
1986 Eliminated in the qualifier
1990 Eliminated in the qualifier
1994 Eliminated in the qualifier
1998 Eliminated in the qualifier
2002 Eliminated in the qualifier
2006 Eliminated in the qualifier
2010 Eliminated in the qualifier
2014 Eliminated in the qualifier
2018 Did not participate
2022 Eliminated in the qualifier
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