BUSY YEAR FOR VIETNAM TEAM
The key task of the Vietnamese team in 2025 is to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup, which means winning the top spot in the group with Malaysia, Laos and Nepal. At first glance, these opponents seem "easy" for the Vietnamese players, but in reality, the Malaysian team is preparing to welcome a large number of naturalized players (up to 15 or 16 players with foreign blood). Previously, the "Tigers" appointed Mr. Peter Cklamovski, with coaching experience in Japan, to the head coach position. With an investment of 30 million ringgit (about 169 billion VND) in 2025 alone, Malaysia is determined to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.
Vietnam team needs to take advantage of momentum from AFF Cup 2024
The Laos national team has also made remarkable progress under coach Ha Hyeok-jun, drawing with the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand in just one month. The Vietnamese national team also felt Laos' maturity when they were held to a 0-0 draw in the first half of the 2024 AFF Cup opener. Nepal is an unknown factor, especially at home, hundreds of meters above sea level and with thin air.
In particular, the format of 6 qualifying matches spread out over 6 sessions within the framework of FIFA Days (1 match per session) is more favorable for the underdogs, when Laos, Nepal or Malaysia can all put their maximum effort and strength into competing for a ticket to the next round with the Vietnamese team. At the AFF Cup 2024, coach Kim Sang-sik's strategic vision and reasonable use of troops helped Vietnam excel. However, in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, when each match is as important as a final, the Korean coach's tactical ability will face a bigger challenge.
Coach Kim Sang-sik anticipated the difficulties, so he proactively cut short his vacation to get back to work. The door to the Vietnamese national team will be wider open for the players in 2025, with experimental plans interspersed in the training sessions in March, June, September, October and November, especially in the forward line, when the team is in need of a top-class striker to replace Nguyen Xuan Son.
C PREPARING THE NEXT CLASS
Coach Kim Sang-sik's advantage in the early stages of his tenure is that he can focus on the Vietnamese national team. This year, Mr. Kim will "both grind rice and carry the baby" when coaching both the national team and the U.22 Vietnam team. Coach Kim's young team will participate in the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers in September, then compete in the SEA Games in December. Similar to when Coach Park Hang-seo was still in charge, Mr. Kim has to shoulder a large workload for both teams, requiring a large coaching team (an assistant will replace Coach Kim Sang-sik to temporarily lead the youth team when Mr. Kim takes over the national team), along with detailed plans for important tournaments.
Vietnam team will conquer new heights
Previously, the issue of assigning two teams to one coach was discussed whether it was appropriate or not. In the last 6 months of his contract, Mr. Park himself focused on managing the Vietnam national team, while U.23 Vietnam was assigned to coach Gong Oh-kyun. That would allow the coach to devote all his time and energy to a single team.
However, in the somewhat inadequate busyness of Coach Kim Sang-sik, there is also an advantage: he can grasp the actual personnel of both the national team and the youth team, to plan for the transfer of forces and reasonable rejuvenation. Grasping the capacity of the youth through direct training will help Coach Kim build a reasonable personnel strategy for the goals in the next 2-3 years such as the 2027 Asian Cup, the 2030 World Cup qualifiers or the 2026 AFF Cup.
The 2026 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games are also tough tests that young players must overcome to be able to stand side by side with their seniors. This is the core force on the journey to Asia, where the challenges will be much more difficult than in Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese team needs a roadmap for generational transfer, Vietnamese football needs to improve the quality of clubs, national championships, youth training and facilities... to build a foundation for sustainable success.
Striker Nguyen Xuan Son has just had a special spring in Vietnam, as this is the first Tet he has celebrated as a Vietnamese citizen. "I am very happy to feel everyone's love," Xuan Son shared with Thanh Nien Newspaper. The striker born in 1997 is currently taking time to recover from his injury. If all goes well in the process of regaining his form, Xuan Son will participate in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers from October, with a match against Nepal in the fourth round.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nam-vuon-minh-ra-chau-a-cua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-185250202225014991.htm
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