Laos prepare to face Vietnam with players from US, Europe

Laos expect the addition of overseas players to improve the team's performance against Vietnam in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers on Tuesday.

Laos' national football team trained at Go Dau Stadium in Binh Duong Province in southern Vietnam on Monday night to prepare for their opening match against Vietnam in Group F of the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Compared to the 2024 ASEAN Cup, Laos have made key improvements to their squad by adding three overseas Laotian players.

Head coach Ha Hyeok-jun (R) said Laos will do their best to prevent Vietnam from securing a dominant win.

He values the addition of overseas Laotian players and believes local talent should compete in stronger leagues in South Korea, Thailand, or Vietnam to enhance the national team's overall strength.

Most Laos players are young and have a similar build.

Before arriving in Vietnam, the team played a friendly match against Sri Lanka but lost 1-2.

With the inclusion of the three overseas Laotian players, Laos hopes to perform better than in their 1-4 loss to Vietnam at last year's ASEAN Cup.

One of the new additions is Victor Ngovinassack (pictured), a right-back born in 2001 who currently plays for Is-Selongey's reserve team in France's sixth division.

Another is Theo Klein, who plays for the University of Omaha Mavericks in the U.S. Born in 2001, the 1.8-meter-tall player can play as either an attacking midfielder or left forward.