Viet Nam secured a 1-1 tie with Lebanon in the return leg of their playoff on May 25, clinching a berth for the FIFA Futsal World Cup finals for the second time, thanks to the away goals rule.

Members of Viet Nam's futsal team (in red) (Photo: VFF)

Chau Doan Phat opened the scoreboard for Viet Nam in the 36^th minute, only four minutes until the game’s end, but Lebanon equalised just 30 seconds later.

Previously, Vietnamese players missed many chances for score, while goalkeeper Ho Van Y had many excellent saves that denied dangerous shots from their rivals.

The teams had a goalless draw in the first leg held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 23.

The 2021 World Cup finals will take place in Lithuania in September.

The Asian Futsal Championship, which is a qualifier of the World Cup, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, organisers decided Japan, Iran and Uzbekistan got automatic places in the finals based on results in recent tournaments. Four other teams – Thailand, Iraq, Viet Nam, and Lebanon – had been set to compete for two remaining berths.

Vietnam currently rank 44^th in the world, four places below Lebanon. They had not met each other in any competition before the matches.

Source: VNA