VFF continues to trust coach Troussier

General Secretary Duong Nghiep Khoi affirmed that the Vietnam Football Federation has not lost faith in coach Philippe Troussier, despite the failure at the 2023 Asian Cup.

"To reach the continent, one must be patient," VFF General Secretary Duong Nghiep Khoi told Vietnamese media on the afternoon of January 26. "I have been in this profession for 40 years and I realize that seeing glory or a gold medal has never been easy."

Regarding the contract, VFF did not disclose details but confirmed that it clearly stated the duration and responsibilities for the coach. "We are patient but only when we complete the main goal will we continue the contract," said Mr. Khoi, adding that Southeast Asian football is in a low-lying area and to rise to the continent requires a lot of effort and patience. Therefore, VFF values patience and still has faith in the French coach even after the failure at the 2023 Asian Cup.

Coach Philippe Troussier arrived in Hanoi after being eliminated from the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup. Photo: Hieu Luong

VFF General Secretary Duong Nghiep Khoi is the head of the Vietnamese team at the 2023 Asian Cup. He admitted that the team failed to reach the goal of passing the group stage after losing all three matches, but there were bright spots in the defeats to Japan and Iraq or the second half against Indonesia. According to him, this defeat is a big lesson for the players and coaching staff to see the problem better. "Coach Troussier is under great pressure when he does not have the desired force in hand due to injuries before the tournament," said Mr. Khoi. "He uses young players to make up for the force and is happy to see that the players are not discouraged after each defeat."

Since joining international football in 1991, Vietnam had to wait until the 2008 AFF Cup to win its first championship and 10 years later for its second. After a successful period with Coach Park Hang-seo, VFF signed a four-year contract - the longest in history - with Coach Troussier with the main goal of winning a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Before the tournament in Qatar, Vietnam lost an entire squad due to injuries, including goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, defenders Doan Van Hau, Que Ngoc Hai, Bui Tien Dung, Thanh Chung, midfielders Hoang Duc, Duc Chien, strikers Tien Linh, Thanh Nhan. According to the VFF General Secretary, Coach Troussier did not want to overuse the players, so he waited until the last minute for Hoang Duc but decided to remove his name after the doctor could not confirm whether the midfielder could play before the first two matches.

Being eliminated from the 2023 Asian Cup caused Vietnam to drop 11 places, from 94th to 105th in the FIFA rankings. After the 2024 Lunar New Year, the team will gather in mid-March to prepare for the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup against Indonesia. In this tournament, after two matches, Vietnam is in second place with three points - three points behind Iraq, two points ahead of Indonesia and the Philippines. "The team must strive to pass the second qualifying round, that is the main goal in 2024," said Mr. Khoi. "The recent failures may be a big lesson for the coaching staff and players to see the problem better."

According to Mr. Khoi, the team plans to coordinate with the VFF Referee Board so that players can better understand how to behave and commit fouls in international matches, thereby avoiding repeating mistakes such as Nguyen Thanh Binh's shirt-pulling that led to a penalty against Indonesia or Khuat Van Khang's foul that led to a red card against Iraq.

Hieu Luong

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