LookAtVietnam – Viet Nam will play Kuwait in an away friendly on May 31. The team is scheduled to fly to the Middle East three days earlier to prepare for the game.

The team will treat the game against Kuwait as a test after the first training session of the year. (Photo: VNN)

It’s expected a squad of 22 will be selected, Giap said. Discussions will be held with the national coach to arrange training sessions as Viet Nam will play the visiting Greek Super League side, Olympiakos, between May 5 and 10.

Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto has agreed to guide the Olympic and national teams in preparation for December’s Southeast Asian Games in Laos and the qualifiers for the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar. He will name the best players from junior and senior teams to form a strong squad.

Calisto faces a tough task preparing the teams for action.

As scheduled, the national team will resume practices in Ha Noi early next month. The coach will mix a squad of under-23 players and youngsters from the national team.

In the Asian Cup qualifiers, Viet Nam is in group D with China, Syria and Lebanon. The teams will play in two-leg round robins, with the top two qualifying for Qatar.

Viet Nam crushed Lebanon 3-1 in the group opener in Ha Noi but lost 6-1 to China in Hangzhou last month.

Calisto became Viet Nam’s most successful foreign coach when he steered the national team to gold in the AFF-Suzuki Cup last December.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News