Marc Klok Vs Nguyen Hoang Duc: Who Will Rule Out Central Lini?

Indonesian national team centre player, Marc Klok. (Photo: Twitter/@PSSI)

JAKARTA The 2022 AFF Cup semifinal match will be opened with a duel between the Indonesian national team and Vietnam. The two teams will meet for the 11th time in this biennial competition.

The semifinal match will take place in two legs. Indonesia will first act as the host at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, Friday, January 6, before being treated by Vietnam three days later.

This meeting will complain of strength in the midfield between Marc Klok and the mainstay player of the visitors Nguyen Hoang Duc. So, whoever looks slick is predicted to have a big influence on the results of the match.

In the Indonesian camp, Klok is a player who has always been trusted by tactician Shin Tae-yong. He was recorded as a starter three times, against Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines, and scored two goals.

In the match against Vietnam, Klok most likely returned to the first XI. It is hoped that its important role in midfield can facilitate the occupation of the attacker.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Hoang Duc has always been a mainstay. He only appeared as a substitute once, namely when Vietnam played the final match of the group phase against Myanmar.

The rest, always appeared from the start and had a tremendous influence.

So far, Hoang duc has only scored once, namely when Vietnam won 3-0 over Malaysia. However, his role in midfield is fairly central.

The current semifinal match using a new format does not calculate away goal productivity but only aggregate. So, if the two teams' aggregates are still the same in two legs, the match will continue into extra time.

If the match in extra time is also the same goal aggregate, the ticket to the final round will be determined through a penalty shootout.

So far, Indonesia and Vietnam have met in the AFF Cup ten times. Indonesia has won six times and lost once, while the other six matches ended in a draw.