The match on the first day of the Lunar calendar is special for both Vietnam and China, two of the few countries in the world celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Vietnamese players say they respect all competitors but are not scared in the nation's first-ever World Cup game.

Welcome to Words on the Street by the Hanoi Times, where we provide the most authentic perspectives on the pressing issues of Hanoi and Vietnam.

Striker Nguyen Xuan Son scored twice to give Vietnam the advantage in the first leg of the 2024 AFF Cup final on January 2.

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