Thach Bao Khanh: Vietnam team needs young stars in AFF Cup
“When I think about the 2008 AFF Cup championship, my memory shows the image of the beloved red flag with yellow star flying in the sky, all over the streets of the country. That is the motivation for me and the members of the Vietnam team to always try our best,” former national player Thach Bao Khanh shared about the memory of winning the 2008 AFF Cup championship with the Vietnam team at a fan meeting, part of the AFF Cup Trophy Tour.
The 2008 AFF Cup championship was a milestone in the history of Vietnamese football. Despite a poor start to the tournament with a series of draws and losses under coach Henrique Calisto, the Vietnamese team turned the tide to glory. Bao Khanh and his teammates defeated both Singapore and Thailand on the way to the championship, to win the first AFF Cup title in history.
Thach Bao Khanh (far left) with Duong Hong Son and Pham Thanh Luong at the AFF Cup promotion event
“In 2008, coach Calisto shared with the players that we only have one star, the star on our shirt, and that we should be confident because there are millions of fans behind us to support us. After those words, we had the motivation and responsibility to join hands and unite to win the championship,” Thach Bao Khanh affirmed.
Ten years later, the Vietnamese team with the golden generation of coach Park Hang-seo has overcome a series of strong opponents to win the AFF Cup for the second time in history.
The Vietnamese team is going through a difficult period, winning only 2 of the last 12 matches. After the glory of coach Park Hang-seo in the 2018-2022 period, the whole team has declined when it stopped at the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup and the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. Coach Kim Sang-sik took the "hot seat", but in the past 5 months, the Korean coach has not been able to change the situation.
At the AFF Cup 2024, the Vietnamese team's goal is to reach the final. According to Thach Bao Khanh, young players need to be given more opportunities and show more.
“The Vietnamese team has many talented young players such as Khuat Van Khang of Viettel’s The Cong, Nguyen Dinh Bac of Hanoi Police Club and many other names. I hope these young talents will connect well with each other and carry out the overall strategy of the whole team as set out by the head coach,” Thach Bao Khanh shared.
Van Khang and Dinh Bac
“For all young players, the important thing is passion, always striving and trying. Personally, I have experienced that since I was young. Thanks to my efforts, I have achieved certain results. Hopefully in the future, the players will also strive to achieve good results.”
Duong Hong Son talks about Van Lam and Nguyen Filip
Besides Thach Bao Khanh, goalkeeper Duong Hong Son was also a very important factor in the journey to win the AFF Cup 2008. The impressive performance of the former goalkeeper of Hanoi Club helped the Vietnamese team only concede 2 goals in 4 semi-final and final matches (first and second leg) against Singapore and Thailand, then won the championship.
“2008 was the championship of my life. I hope that young Vietnamese football players will always aspire to contribute to the national team. The players are all honored to contribute to the country. For the upcoming players, I hope you will always unite and achieve the highest results for the upcoming AFF.
In 2008, fans put their hopes on the Vietnamese team. It was also a difficult year, when the whole team failed to train successfully in 11 matches, but entering the tournament, we overcame the difficulties thanks to solidarity. The Vietnamese team always grew stronger with each match and climbed to the highest podium of glory," Duong Hong Son recalled.
Hong Son is one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Vietnamese football. He also participated in coaching after retiring, when he became the “captain” of Phu Tho Club, with the role of honing young talents.
When asked to evaluate the two goalkeepers Dang Van Lam and Nguyen Filip of the Vietnamese team, Hong Son emphasized: "The head coach will always choose the best possible lineup to participate in the tournament. Filip and Van Lam have both proven their talents, I hope that whoever is the main goalkeeper will also be eager to play for the national team."
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