To prepare for the away match, coach Hoang Van Phuc’s players produced a 4-1 impressive performance in their warm-up game against Hanoi T&T club several days ago.

Phuc hoped Vietnam would have a good result from their away match on Hong Kong land to improve their standing after the first 1-2 loss to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

With two losses, Vietnam now stand at the bottom of Group E (Photo:bongdaplus)

At Mong Kok stadium on March 22, Phuc changed the lineup a bit, with Buu Ngoc keeping the goal instead of Thanh Binh.

Midfielders Van Quyet, Tan Tai, Nguyen Sa, Thanh Luong, and Quoc Anh were tasked with supporting Overseas Vietnamese striker Mac Hong Quan.

Vietnamese players almost took control of the match, but hopefuls Mac Hong Quan, Van Quyet, Tan Tai, Thanh Luong, and Quoc Anh missed the scoring chances.

In the last minutes, Hong Kong players came back with counterattacks, and Chan Wai Ho’s header sealed 1-0 win for Hong Kong when the match had three minutes to go.

After two losses, Vietnam remained at the bottom of Group E and it will be a big challenge for them to earn a ticket to the final round. 

VOV