Soccer: Kawasaki playing Binh Duong in Nov. 20 friendly in Vietnam

Kawasaki Frontale will play a friendly match with Becamex Binh Duong in Vietnam on Nov. 20, the J-League first-division side said Tuesday.

Kawasaki have been sending coaching staff to Vietnam and holding youth tournaments in the country for the past 10 years as they look to foster their youth development philosophy in Southeast Asia.

"I hope this serves as a catalyst to produce world-class players from both countries and from Asia," Kawasaki President Akihiro Yoshida told a Hanoi press conference.

Kawasaki opened a football school last year in Binh Duong province, in southern Vietnam, where they have dispatched coaching staff. The sport's popularity has been on the rise in Vietnam in recent years, along with the increasing strength of the national team.

© Kyodo News