The Vietnam national team receives cheerful news from Tai Loc.

The Vietnamese squad resumed training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center on the morning of July 26, preparing for the match against Singapore at My Dinh Stadium on July 31, which counts as the second fixture of Group A in the 2026 ASEAN Championship.

After the opening match against Timor Leste and the travel from Thailand back to Hanoi, head coach Kim Sang Sik chose to divide the team into two groups to maintain the players' fitness levels.

The players who started in the 7-0 win over Timor Leste mainly did recovery drills under the supervision of the coaching staff and medical team. Meanwhile, the other players focused more on tactical training while keeping up their exercise intensity to be prepared for the upcoming match.

Good news also came for the Vietnam national team as midfielder Nguyen Tai Loc is back to regular training with his teammates. Earlier, due to a calf muscle strain, Tai Loc was given rest by the coaching staff and was not registered for the match against Timor Leste to avoid the risk of aggravating the injury.

At present, the only player who cannot train is Dang Van Lam, who is still recovering from an injury. The goalkeeper of Ninh Binh Club will continue to be monitored by the medical team before a specific evaluation of his return is made.

The big win in the opening match has given coach Kim Sang Sik and his players a boost of excitement and confidence before hosting Singapore.

The Vietnam national team has five days of preparation before the match at My Dinh Stadium, aiming to get all three points to keep a favorable position in the race for a semifinal spot in the 2026 ASEAN Championship.

The second round of Group A takes place on July 27 with two matches: Singapore vs. Timor Leste (18:00) and Indonesia vs. Cambodia (20:30). This round marks Indonesia's first appearance in the tournament this year.

After the first round, the Vietnam national team holds an advantage in the race for a semifinal spot in the 2026 ASEAN Hyundai Cup. With a 7-0 victory over Timor Leste, coach Kim Sang Sik's team tops Group A with 3 points and a goal difference of +7.

Singapore is second in Group A with 3 points and a goal difference of +1, thanks to a thrilling 2-1 win over Cambodia in the opening match. Indonesia is third (0 points, goal difference 0) even though they haven't played any game yet. Cambodia (0 points, -1) and Timor Leste (0 points, -7) are fourth and fifth respectively in Group A.