Viet Nam’s U23 football team are facing a serious personnel loss when more players have become suspected cases of COVID-19, posing a great challenge to the decisive match against Thailand in the 2022 AFF U23 Championship.

The U23 footballers of Viet Nam (Photo: Viet Nam Football Federation)

Rapid test results on February 20 noon showed six more team members were positive for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

In the morning of the same day, four players who had shared the same rooms with four previously confirmed cases took PCR tests. Official test results will be announced on February 21.

The infected cases have been moved to another hotel for quarantine.

The Vietnamese team now only have 18 players testing negative for the virus. The team's leaders hope that no more infections will occur since they will play against Thailand to secure the top position of Group C on February 22.

On February 19, Viet Nam’s U23 team thrashed Singapore 7 - 0 at their opening Group C tie in the 2022 AFF U23 Championship in Cambodia.

Both Viet Nam and Thailand currently have three points, but Viet Nam’s goal difference is  +7 while the latter’s +3. At the next game, Viet Nam need only a draw with Thailand to advance to the semi-finals as the top team of Group C.

Source: VNA