Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong and defender Do Duy Manh are not on the list of 28 players brought by coach Philippe Troussier to Indonesia for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The list of Vietnam national team was announced online on the evening of March 18 on the homepage of the Vietnam Football Federation. Coach Troussier directly read the names of 28 players.
Cong Phuong was injured in a match with the Yokohama FC second team on March 2 and had to practice separately at the club before returning to Vietnam on March 11. When he joined the national team in Hanoi on March 13, the striker born in 1995 still practiced normally. However, on March 16, the injury relapsed, forcing him to stop practicing.
Currently, Cong Phuong has returned to light training. But based on the assessment of the team doctor, Coach Troussier decided not to use the striker from Nghe An to avoid the risk of more serious injury.
Cong Phuong (No. 10) faces Pratama Arhan in Vietnam's 4-0 win over Indonesia in the second qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. Photo: Hieu Luong
Duy Manh suffered a thigh strain after playing continuously for Hanoi FC. He faces the risk of a torn muscle if he continues to play at high intensity. This morning, the 28-year-old central defender met privately with coach Troussier to discuss the injury and proactively withdrew to have more time to recover.
The absence of Cong Phuong and Duy Manh is a big loss for Vietnam at this time. Both are among the most experienced players in the group called up for the two key matches in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup - European region. Coach Troussier even went directly to Japan to watch Cong Phuong practice, in the context of the injury of key striker Pham Tuan Hai. Previously, the French coach did not have the services of goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, center back Que Ngoc Hai and midfielder Nguyen Tuan Anh due to physical problems.
Center back Do Duy Manh (No. 2) in the Vietnam national team jersey. Photo: Hieu Luong
Besides Duy Manh and Cong Phuong, Coach Troussier also dropped three more players, including defender Giap Tuan Duong, Truong Tien Anh and midfielder Nguyen Hai Long. Meanwhile, rookie Tran Ngoc Son was retained.
The team roster includes three goalkeepers, nine defenders, 11 midfielders and five forwards. The Cong and Cong An Ha Noi (CAHN) contribute the most with seven names each. Following are Ha Noi (four), Hai Phong, Binh Duong, Nam Dinh (two), SLNA, Binh Dinh, Thanh Hoa and Quang Nam (one).
The oldest player is goalkeeper Nguyen Dinh Trieu, born in 1991, and the youngest is striker Nguyen Dinh Bac, born in 2004. The team has 12 players born from 1999 onwards.
Coach Troussier announced the list of Vietnam team on the evening of March 18. Video: VFF Media
The team gathered at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center from March 13. After taking time to evaluate the players' performance and health, coach Troussier began technical and tactical training on March 16.
Tomorrow morning, the Vietnamese team will leave for Indonesia. The team will practice two sessions before playing the host team on the evening of March 21 in the capital city of Jakarta. The two teams will play the second leg on March 26 at My Dinh Stadium. Before each match, coach Troussier will select the official list of 23 players to participate.
Vietnam is second in Group F with three points after two matches, two points ahead of Indonesia, who are at the bottom. Coach Troussier and his team aim to win four points after two matches against an opponent who is considered a direct competitor. In this group, Iraq is much stronger and is leading with six points, while the Philippines is the lowest-ranked team.
Vietnam has won eight, drawn 11 and lost nine matches against Indonesia. In the last five encounters, Vietnam lost 0-1 in the 2023 Asian Cup group stage, won 2-0 in the second leg of the semi-finals, drew 0-0 in the first leg of the AFF Cup 2022 semi-finals, drew 0-0 in the 2020 AFF Cup group stage and won 4-0 in the second qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup.
List of Vietnam team
Goalkeepers (3): Nguyen Filip (CAHN), Nguyen Dinh Trieu (Hai Phong), Nguyen Van Viet (SLNA)
Defenders (9): Vu Van Thanh, Ho Tan Tai, Bui Hoang Viet Anh (CAHN), Bui Tien Dung, Nguyen Thanh Binh, Phan Tuan Tai (The Cong), Nguyen Thanh Chung (Hanoi FC), Vo Minh Trong (Binh Duong), Le Ngoc Bao (Binh Dinh)
Midfielders (11): Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Duc Chien, Khuat Van Khang (The Cong), Le Pham Thanh Long, Nguyen Quang Hai, Pham Van Luan (CAHN), Do Hung Dung, Pham Xuan Manh (Hanoi FC), Trieu Viet Hung (Hai Phong), Nguyen Thai Son (Thanh Hoa), Tran Ngoc Son (Nam Dinh)
Forwards (5): Nguyen Van Tung (Hanoi FC), Nguyen Dinh Bac (Quang Nam), Nham Manh Dung (The Cong), Nguyen Van Toan (Nam Dinh), Nguyen Tien Linh (Binh Duong)
Hieu Luong
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