Nepal's goalkeeper wants to swap jerseys with the Vietnamese overseas star of Vietnam's national team

Nepal's goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong hopes to trade jerseys with Vietnam's goalkeeper Văn Lâm.

Although Nepal lost 1-3 to Vietnam in the first leg, goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong was highly praised for many outstanding saves. The goalkeeper and captain of Nepal, along with head coach Matt Ross, represented the South Asian team at the pre-match press conference on the afternoon of October 13.

Despite having faced Vietnam only once, Kiran Chemjong revealed a close relationship with a Vietnamese overseas player. That player is his counterpart in goal on the opposing side—Văn Lâm. During the pre-match press briefing, Nepal's captain expressed his desire to swap jerseys with Văn Lâm:

"We enjoy exchanging jerseys with fellow players. In the previous match, Văn Lâm approached me and asked about my country and family. He is a good man. We had a pleasant conversation. If possible, I would like to swap jerseys with him."

In the previous game, Nepal played with one man down and was pressured by Vietnam throughout the 90 minutes. Goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong hopes that in the rematch at Thong Nhat Stadium on the evening of October 15, Nepal can compete more evenly against Vietnam, of course with a full squad:

"Honestly, I am really looking forward to this match. We lost 1-3 last time, and I think the red card was the turning point. For this game, we want to give our best in front of the Vietnamese fans. This is an opportunity for Nepal’s team to experience playing with a large crowd. We aim to perform well against Vietnam, naturally with 11 players on each side, not 11 versus 10 like last time.

In my opinion, Vietnam’s players deliver quality crosses. Last match, I did my best within my ability. After the game, we analyzed the crosses and Vietnam’s attacking strategies. Hopefully, with this analysis, we can perform better against Vietnam tomorrow."