PVF-CAND's U.23 Southeast Asian Champion: 'Not afraid of V-League foreign players'

Young center back Nguyen Hieu Minh of PVF-CAND Club affirmed that he is not afraid of the pressure when having to compete with top strikers in V-League.

'PVF-CAND has prepared seriously'

"Although we only had 2 weeks to prepare, my teammates and I prepared seriously and with great enthusiasm for our first time playing in the V-League. My goal with PVF-CAND Club is to play well in each match and strive to overcome the challenges ahead," said center-back Nguyen Hieu Minh at the PVF-CAND Club's departure ceremony.

After winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship with U.23 Vietnam, Nguyen Hieu Minh received unexpected joy when he and PVF-CAND were awarded a place in the V-League. This is the first time PVF-CAND has been present in the highest level of Vietnamese football.

Center back Nguyen Hieu Minh (number 4) is a pillar of PVF-CAND

PHOTO: VFF

To prepare for V-League, PVF-CAND Club has recruited many veteran faces such as Do Van Thuan, Truong Van Thai Quy, Hoang Vu Samson, Joseph Mpande combined with the familiar lineup of last season such as goalkeeper Phi Minh Long, center back Nguyen Hieu Minh, midfielder Nguyen Xuan Bac, Huynh Cong Den or striker Nguyen Thanh Nhan.

According to center back Hieu Minh, preparing for the V-League season is not much different from the first division.

"V-League and first division are both part of the Vietnamese professional football system, so the preparation process is not much different. There are only a few changes as this season PVF-CAND has foreign players, so the competition in training will be higher," Hieu Minh confided.

Center back Hieu Minh has affirmed his ability in the youth tournament when he won the U.23 Southeast Asian Championship with U.23 Vietnam. The PVF-CAND player started 4 matches, scoring 2 goals. He is an important piece in the three-man defense, and is considered by coach Kim Sang-sik to have the potential to go far.

Last season, Hieu Minh also won the title of "Best Young Player of the First Division" with 20 matches for PVF-CAND. However, this season, Hieu Minh will no longer face domestic first-class strikers, but will have to face famous strikers in the V-League, including many famous foreign players.

PVF-CAND steps up to V-League with a young squad

PHOTO: PVF-CAND

"Playing against high-class players, including many foreign players in the V-League, is not a pressure for me. On the contrary, this is an opportunity for me to develop myself more, mature and improve thanks to playing in a high-intensity environment with many high-class players like the V-League," center-back Hieu Minh answered Thanh Nien Newspaper's question. "Each training session, each match will be an opportunity for me to try harder."

Hoang Vu Samson: 'My ambition is to score 10 goals in V-League'

Hoang Vu Samson is one of the most notable new players of PVF-CAND Club in V-League 2025 - 2026. Samson used to play for Hanoi, Dong Thap, Quang Nam , Ho Chi Minh City (now Ho Chi Minh City Police Club). With 15 years of association with V-League, Samson is the domestic player who scored the most goals with 230 goals.

"The first and most obvious thing I feel in the young players of PVF-CAND Club is enthusiasm and energy. This is a team full of energy and fighting spirit," Hoang Vu Samson affirmed.

"At PVF-CAND, I am still training and preparing seriously to adapt. I have my own ambition, which is to score and score to bring results for the club. Samson will focus on his mission."

Striker Hoang Vu Samson also set himself the goal of scoring 10 goals in the V-League and will use his experience to support PVF-CAND. "With both physical and technical preparation, I am ready," Samson said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-vo-dich-u23-dong-nam-a-cua-pvf-cand-khong-ngai-ngoai-binh-v-league-185250812184004232.htm