Vietnam to beef up security for Malaysian fans in AFF Cup semi

Hanoi police will execute the highest security plan for the game at My Dinh Stadium, officers announced after a meeting yesterday with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the country’s football governing body.

Security will be as tight as when Vietnam played a friendly with English Premier League side Arsenal at the same stadium in July last year, according to Hanoi police.

More than 300 VFF-hired bodyguards will be assisted by 1,000 police officers, while Malaysian supporters will be arranged to sit in the corner of Stand C under the protection of security officers.

Police in the Vietnamese capital said they are waiting for the arrival/exit data of around 1,500 Malaysian fans, plus the hotels they will stay in, to assign security teams to ensure their safety.

Vietnam is beefing up security as the guest supporters are facing the threat of ‘revenge’ when they travel to Hanoi to cheer on their team in the return game tomorrow, after a group of Malaysian supportersattacked Vietnamese fans at the Shah Alam Stadium during the first leg game on Sunday.

Angered by their team’s 1-2 home defeat to Vietnam, the host attackers used glass bottles, kicks and punches to ‘talk’ with the Vietnamese fans.

Blood was seen on the face and T-shirt of a Vietnamese supporter in what the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has described as “the most violent and embarrassing” incident ever recorded in the competition.

Malaysian police are hunting for 12 Malaysian supporters they believe to be involved in the assault, according to The New Straits Times.

The attack has triggered a storm of outrage from Vietnamese fans, a number of whom have taken to the Internet to vent their anger.

In a phone call with Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Pham Cao Phong on Monday, Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin expressed his concern about the safety of his country’s football fans during their Hanoi trip.

Malaysia left for Hanoi shortly after their bitter defeat to prepare for the return leg and both the coach and players are concerned over the heated atmosphere between the two countries’ supporters.

The Malaysian squad were worried about local fans watching their training sessions in the capital city.

But Datuk Sudarsono, head of the Malaysian delegation, told Tuoi Tre(Youth) newspaper that they have had the impression that Vietnamese people are kind and friendly since landing at Noi Bai airport on Monday.

Still, he advised Malaysian fans to be cautious when coming to the stadium.

Thailand and the Philippines will challenge each other for the first ticket to the finale today in Bangkok, following a goalless draw in Manila on Saturday.

The finale will be staged on a home and away basis on December 17 and 20.