Pitted against the West Asian powerhouse who are making their eighth appearance in the competition, Vietnam - featuring in only their second edition - will look to make their mark, with head coach Mai Van Duc confident that the weeks of meticulous preparation will yield positive results.

“Currently the team is following a set plan. The squad has been selected after extensive training sessions and several friendly matches. 

“We have spent time perfecting the strengths of each player, from their technical game to their psychological resilience,” said Van Duc.

While optimistic about Vietnam’s chances, Van Duc is also wary of the challenge posed by Oman, who finished third in 2023 and are eager to secure a place in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles later this year.

“We have been placed in a group with several strong teams. Oman is a good team and has experience in the World Cup, but we also have our own plan. We will try to make things difficult for them and capitalise on our opportunities to win and qualify for the next round,” he added.

Champions of the inaugural edition in 2006, Bahrain will be keen to better their quarter-final finish in 2023 but will first have to battle Malaysia in their opening group stage tie.

While Bahrain are among the tournament favourites, their Southeast Asian rivals will also be keen to improve on their 2023 group stage exit and head coach Mohd Saiful Noor was full of praise for the resilience of his charges. 

“The team hasn’t had a lot of time to prepare and has only been training and participating in tournaments in the past two weeks,” said Noor. “However, despite the short time, I commend the commitment and spirit shown by the players.

“I expect my team to give their best, secure three points, and increase our chances of making it to the quarter-finals. Our ultimate goal is to break into the top eight in Asia, and this match will be an important step toward that ambition.”

Venue: Jomtien Beach Arena

Kick-off: 17:00 (UTC+7)

Venue: Jomtien Beach Arena

Kick-off: 20:30 (UTC+7)