HANOI (AFP) - Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl is to take a 50-day sabbatical to have a kidney transplant ahead of the Asian Cup finals in July.

Riedl will fly home to Austria for the operation on February 20.

"I´ve needed this operation for a while now and I´m very happy to have found the donors," the 57-year-old was quoted as saying on the Asian Football Confederation website.

"I hope to be back in April to prepare the team for the AFC Asian Cup."

Riedl received full support from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

"We, Vietnamese, feel responsible to stand side by side with our coach during this time of difficulty," said VFF President Nguyen Trong Hy.