Indonesian media expresses concern about potential encounter with Vietnam's national team at Asian Cup

Indonesian media asserts that Indonesia's national team could very likely face Vietnam's national team at AFC Asian Cup 2027, recreating a rivalry with a long history.

The possibility of Indonesia's national team meeting Vietnam's national team at AFC Asian Cup 2027 has become a topic of particular interest for media in the archipelago nation. In recent analyses, Indonesian media suggests that the scenario of the two Southeast Asian teams being placed in the same group is entirely plausible, promising to reignite a rivalry full of history.

According to the seeding group results, Vietnam's national team is placed in Pot 3, alongside notable teams such as Thailand, Bahrain, and China. Meanwhile, Indonesia is only ranked in Pot 4, meaning they could potentially face any team from Pot 3, including Vietnam – a familiar regional opponent.

Bola Sport commented: "Indonesia could be placed in the same group with one of the two regional teams, Vietnam's national team or Thailand's national team." This scenario is not unfamiliar as the two teams have met multiple times in major tournaments, from AFF Cup to Asian Cup, with competitiveness always heightened.

Not only limited to the possibility of meeting Vietnam, Indonesian media also worries that the home team could fall into a "group of death." With Pot 1 gathering giants like Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea, while Pot 2 also consists of formidable opponents, Indonesia could entirely risk facing multiple strong teams simultaneously if the draw is unfavorable.

Notably, Bola Sport recalled the scenario at AFC Asian Cup 2023, when Vietnam and Indonesia were both in Group D with Japan and Iraq. At that time, the two Southeast Asian representatives had to compete directly for advancement opportunities, in a group considered extremely tough.

According to the plan, the Asian Cup 2027 finals will be held in Saudi Arabia from early January to early February 2027, while the draw ceremony has been moved to May to ensure full participation from member associations. With four Southeast Asian representatives participating – Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore – the region is expected to continue making an impact, especially if "internal clashes" like Vietnam vs Indonesia reappear.