Notable matches to kick off the year of the Snake in Vietnamese football

Club level excitement

Right after the Lunar New Year 2025, Vietnamese football quickly returned to the competition rhythm with the earliest match being the match between Nam Dinh and Hanoi clubs. This is an early match in round 13 of V-League 2024/2025 to help Nam Dinh Club have time to focus on two important matches in AFC Champions League Two.

This match will take place on February 5, just 3 days after the Lunar New Year holiday, which means both teams will have to gather early to prepare. Just 3 days later, round 12 of the 2024/2025 V-League will kick off with the earliest matches on February 8.

At the regional level, Thanh Hoa Club and Hanoi Police both have the final matches of the group stage of the 2024/2025 Southeast Asian Club Championship. More specifically, Thanh Hoa is likely to have to gather early when they visit PSM (Indonesia) on February 5. This match is expected to decide the ticket to pass the group stage of the Vietnamese football representative.

Just one day later (February 6), Hanoi Police will have a match against Borneo (Indonesia) at home. Compared to Thanh Hoa, Hanoi Police has a bit more advantage when playing at home, but the players still have to gather early to be ready to play.

With the pace of Vietnamese football returning right after the Lunar New Year, players will spend the Tet holiday in preparation for an immediate return to competition. This requires a high level of professionalism in both daily life and training during the holiday to ensure the best physical condition when returning to the club.

Vietnam team opened brilliantly?

After winning the 2024 ASEAN Cup, the Vietnamese team is expected to enter 2025 with a not-too-difficult schedule. Coach Kim Sang Sik and his team only have one arena to focus on, the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Being in the same group with Laos, Malaysia and Nepal, the Vietnamese team is considered to have a very high chance of winning a ticket to the final round of the Asian Cup 2027. As expected, the first match of the Vietnamese team after the Lunar New Year will be a home match against Laos on March 25.

With home advantage, the Vietnamese team is expected to have an exciting match against the underdog Laos team. This is also an opportunity for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team to "open the game" with a victory, thereby hoping for a successful year for Vietnamese football.

Just one month later, U17 Vietnam will compete in the U17 Asian Finals, a tournament that will determine the ticket to the U17 World Cup 2025 Finals. With Asia having 8 places to attend the World Cup, U17 Vietnam is facing a very high opportunity to participate in the most prestigious playground in the world if they pass the group stage.