Determining the draw date for the 2027 Asian Cup, the Vietnamese national team anxiously awaits the AFC's decision.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organizing Committee today (March 2nd) confirmed the match schedule for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, even though the final qualifying round is not yet concluded.

The tournament will take place from January 7th to February 5th, 2027, across three cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. The King Fahd Sports City Stadium in the capital Riyadh will host the opening ceremony, featuring the host nation and three-time Asian champion Saudi Arabia, as well as the anticipated final match.

The 72,000-seat stadium in Riyadh, the largest among the eight venues, will also host four group stage matches, including the host nation's second match on January 12th, a Round of 16 match on January 24th, and a quarter-final on January 29th, before staging the final a week later.

Meanwhile, the King Saud University Stadium (26,000 seats) will host five group stage matches and a Round of 16 match on January 25th. The Kingdom Arena (26,000 seats) will host four group stage matches, a Round of 16 match on January 22nd, and a quarter-final on January 28th.

Concluding the Riyadh venues, the Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium (25,000 seats) will host five group stage matches and a Round of 16 match on January 23rd; while the Al Shabab Stadium (13,000 seats) will host four group stage matches and a Round of 16 match on January 22nd.

In Jeddah, the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (60,000 seats), the tournament's second-largest venue, will host five group stage matches, a Round of 16 match (January 25th), a quarter-final (January 28th), and a semi-final (February 2nd). The Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium (26,000 seats) will host four group stage matches and a Round of 16 match on January 24th.

Finally, the new stadium in Al Khobar (45,000 seats), currently under construction, will host matches in every round except the final, including four group stage matches, a Round of 16 match (January 23rd), a quarter-final (January 29th), and the first semi-final on February 1st.

The specific fixtures and kick-off times will be confirmed following the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 final draw ceremony on April 11th at the At-Turaif World Heritage Site in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The final four qualifying spots for the tournament will be determined after the last matches of the final qualifying round on March 31st.

Notably, for the 2027 Asian Cup, each team will be allocated a dedicated hotel and a fixed training facility for the duration of their stay.

Teams will also be provided with appropriate facilities at each match venue when traveling between host cities.

The situation in Group F currently faces the potential for significant change before the final matchday on March 31st.

If the final ruling from CAS upholds the FIFA sanction, the Vietnamese national team under coach Kim Sang Sik will be awarded a 3-0 victory, thereby securing their place in the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

Specifically, the previous 0-4 loss by the Vietnamese team to Malaysia would be converted into a 3-0 win.

The Vietnamese national team would gain approximately 26 FIFA ranking points, a significant boost to improve their seeding position.

With these 3 crucial points from the sanction against Malaysia, the Vietnamese national team would officially qualify early for the 2027 Asian Cup, rendering the rematch on March 31st largely a formality.