Vietnam kicked off their bid to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 with a 0-0 result against Thailand in a match which the reigning AFF Cup champions should have won.

With the United Arab Emirates the only non-ASEAN team in the group, Park knows Vietnam need to come through the next two rounds of matches with a solid point-haul and will be counting on his players to do just that against Malaysia at home on Thursday and Indonesia away five days later.

Reigning regional champions Vietnam and a Thai side in their first match under head coach Akira Nishino both had their moments in Pathum Thani, but neither managed to find the breakthrough required to make a winning start to their campaign.

Nishino’s first game in charge was a battle between fierce regional rivals, but neither could conjure a breakthrough goal at Thammasat Stadium, stretching Thailand’s winless run on home soil to five matches.

The Changsuek had won both encounters against Vietnam during the same round of qualifying in 2015, but, despite their inability to repeat that success on home soil, Nishino said the stalemate is a result from which his side can grow.

Malaysia conceded four goals in their first two matches - a 3-2 victory over Indonesia while Ali Mabkhout’s double saw the Southeast Asians edged 2-1 by the United Arab Emirates in their second match.

The 25-year-old forward last played for Syria against Australia in January’s 2019 AFC Asian Cup and missed the first match of his country’s latest international campaign against Philippines – a game the West Asians won 5-2.

In addition to Khribin, there were also recalls for defender Moayad Ajan and midfielder Osama Omari, both of who are returning to national team duty after lengthy absences.

The 51-year-old coach dropped five players who started the opening match of the Qualifiers against Yemen, opting not to call Abdullah Al Mayouf, Hamdan Al Shamrani, Omar Hawsawi, Khaled Al Sumairi and Salem Al Dawsari.

Bangladesh followed up Sunday's 4-1 win over the South Asians with a 2-0 triumph on Thursday as centre-back Yeasin Khan fired a brace at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

With fixtures against Qatar and India looming in their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 qualifying campaign, Day was pleased his side will take winning form into the challenging fixtures.