Bangladesh face Vietnam today in 2026 campaign opener

Bangladesh will begin their 2026 campaign as they face higher-ranked Vietnam in a FIFA international friendly match scheduled to be held at Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam today (Thursday), reports BSS.
The match will kick off at 6 pm (BST).
Bangladesh will play this friendly match against Vietnam as part of their preparation for the final AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Singapore on March 31.
Bangladesh have already been eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup qualification race, having collected five points, including a notable win over India at their home venue.
The team will be boosted by the presence of Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury and Canada-based midfielder Shamit Shome ahead of their tough matches against Vietnam and Singapore.
Addressing a pre-match press conference, Bangladesh head coach Javier Cabrera said, "Our main objective is to prepare for the upcoming official match against Singapore. Facing Vietnam is very important for us, as they are one of the strongest teams in Southeast Asia. Playing against them will help build our confidence."
"With the presence of Xuân Son, along with another Brazilian-origin player in the squad (Hoàng Hân), Vietnam have a very strong lineup. We hope Bangladesh will be able to face Vietnam's strongest possible team," he added.
The coach said Hamza arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday afternoon. "He is doing well but needs time to adjust to the weather and ktime zone. We'll assess and consider his availability for the match."
Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuyan said it would be a difficult match, but he believes his side are improving and have the ability to compete with Vietnam.