Iraqi defender wants to face Vietnamese-Czech goalkeeper

“I’m looking forward to facing Filip Nguyen,” Doski told Iraqi Pro Players on Dec. 11. “He is a good friend and a great goalkeeper, but I hope he won’t play well against Iraq.”

Doski and Filip were teammates at Czech club Slovacko in 2022. In June 2023, Filip joined Vietnamese club CAHN.

The last time the two met was after Iraq’s 1-0 victory over Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium on Nov. 21, during the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Filip, who did not play the game, shared a photo with Doski on his Facebook with the caption: “See you again in Qatar.”

Doski revealed that he had conversations with Filip about life, family, and the upcoming match between Iraq and Vietnam at the 2024 Asian Cup.

“It would be sweet to score against a former teammate,” Doski added.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifier at My Dinh, Doski played the full 90 minutes against Vietnam. Iraq waited until the final minute of the second half to score with a goal from Mohanad Ali.

The 2024 Asian Cup will take place from Jan. 12 to Feb. 10 in Qatar. Iraq’s goal is to reach the final. In group D, Iraq are ranked higher than Vietnam and Indonesia but weaker than Japan.

Iraq are likely to have a stronger lineup compared to their previous match against Vietnam on Nov. 21, with the inclusion of former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal and 18-year-old striker Montader Madjed. Meanwhile, the biggest addition for Vietnam is most likely to be Filip.

Filip obtained Vietnamese citizenship on Dec. 6. He completed all procedures a day before the submission deadline for the preliminary list of 50 players for the 2024 Asian Cup. If included on the final list of 23 players on Jan. 2, Filip will have the chance to represent Vietnam for the first time.