A determined Iraq is expected to win over the only surviving co-host Vietnam on Saturday in the quarter-final at the Asian Cup.
Iraq showed its attacking power in the stunning 3-1 victory over tournament favorite Australia in a group match.
The Iraqi players, who know well enough the weight of expectation on behalf of its war-torn nation, will try all their best in the match against Vietnam.
Coach Jorvan Vieira was confident over the clash, but he also called for caution.
"People are a little bit wrong. People say it's an easy game against Vietnam. I don't believe these types of things, because football has to be decided on the field," Vieira said.
"Vietnam is a team we must respect...They beat the (United Arab) Emirates, which won the Gulf Cup a few months ago. They played well against Qatar," he said.
Meanwhile, Vietnam had to adjust itself to playing without its fanatical home support, which is an important factor for its better-than-expected performance.
Coach Alfred Riedl called on his players to do even better than in Hanoi to continue its miracle in the tournament.
"The players must go out there without fear, they need to go out there and be men. We don't need small boys tomorrow, we need men," he told reporters.
But Vietnam faced difficulties during preparation for the match with one key player (Phan Van) Tai Em away getting married, and central defender Nguyen Huy Hoang being discovered a stress fracture in his leg.
Source: Xinhua
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