The last time the Socceroos had a serious engagement in Vietnam was in October 1972. Back then, Rale Rasic took his team to Saigon in search of some tough football ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign for West Germany 1974.

What better place for a team of Aussie battlers to find their feet than in war ravaged Saigon?

Legendary goalkeeper Jack Reilly tells the tale of how, flying into the city, he could see the outline of tracer fire and flares on the outskirts of town. Jack’s a tough Scotsman, it didn’t faze him. He did, however, start to feel a bit nervy before the match at The Cong Hoa stadium when he stuck his head out of the dressing room door before kick-off to see a bloke in army fatigues with a hand-held mine-sweeper doing a once over of the penalty box.