Coach Philippe Troussier hopes the return from injury of a number of senior places will boost the team's chances in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in March. (Photo courtesy of VFF) During the 2023 AFC Asian Cup finals in Qatar, the Vietnamese teamexited the tournament at the group stage after suffering three defeats,including a 0-1 loss to Indonesia. One major contributing factor to thisdisappointing performance was the significant number of injuries that plaguedthe squad, leaving coach Philippe Troussier with a weakened team.
Fortunately, key players such as Que Ngoc Hai, Dang Van Lam, NguyenTien Linh, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Doan Van Hau, and Bui Tien Dunghave all made a successful recovery and returned to training, evenparticipating in friendly matches.
Defender Hau, who played a crucial role in the Vietnamese teamduring coach Park Hang-seo's tenure, was consistently absent under coachTroussier due to injury. This significantly impacted the quality of theVietnamese team's performance in the 2023 Asian Cup.
"I sincerely hope to recover in time and be able to join theVietnamese team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers," Hau said.
The recovery of these players is good news for French coachTroussier, as their presence provides the Vietnamese team with more qualityoptions for the crucial matches against Indonesia in the 2026 World Cupqualifiers.
Vietnam's objective in the matches against Indonesia is to securesix points, which would open the door for further progress in the tournament.
However, the two matches, scheduled to take place at the GeloraBung Karno Stadium on March 21 and My Dinh National Stadium on March 26,promise to be challenging. Indonesia have significantly transformed since theaddition of several naturalised players, and their confidence is soaringfollowing their progress at the 2023 Asian Cup.
The disappointing performance at the 2023 Asian Cup has subjectedcoach Troussier to immense pressure from the media and public. Fans areparticularly interested in whether the contract with the French coach will beextended.
Nevertheless, a representative of the Vietnam Football Federation(VFF) has confirmed that Troussier will retain his position despite theteam's underwhelming performance at the Asian Cup.
"The Vietnamese team is not the exclusive property of the VFFor coach Troussier; they are the collective asset of the country," saidNguyen Xuan Vu, VFF Vice President in charge of communications.
"We will collaborate with clubs to ensure that the Vietnameseteam have the strongest line-up before entering the World Cup qualifyingmatches in March.
"In the event that the Vietnamese team do not achievesuccess, the VFF will sit down with coach Troussier and evaluate the situation,but the contract does not contain an immediate termination clause."
Troussier assumed the position in early 2023, succeeding Koreancoach Park Hang-seo, and his contract with the VFF will run until theconclusion of the FIFA World Cup 2026./.
VNA
