Vietnam team still relies on old players

The journey to compete for a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup finals depends on the performance of this group of veteran players.

Find ways to renew core force

In the loss to Malaysia in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup on June 10, coach Kim Sang-sik used a starting lineup with 11 players over the age of 23. Of the 16 players given the opportunity to play, central defender Pham Ly Duc was the youngest (22 years old).

The quality of the Vietnamese team's squad is considered to be rich in international competition experience. They just won the ASEAN Cup 2024 but still had to receive 4 goals against the naturalized stars of Malaysia.

In addition to being inferior to the opponent in terms of skill and class, the reason for the failure of the Vietnamese team also comes from the unstable performance of key players such as strikers Pham Tuan Hai, Nguyen Tien Linh, midfielders Nguyen Hoang Duc, Nguyen Quang Hai and defenders Nguyen Thanh Chung, Bui Tien Dung...

Tuyển Việt Nam vẫn cậy vào người cũ - Ảnh 1. — Nguyen Tien Linh (left) and Pham Tuan Hai are expected to soon regain their "goal-scoring" instinct for the Vietnamese team. Photo: QUOC AN

While national teams in the Southeast Asian region boldly purge old forces and renew their squads, the Vietnamese team still relies on a group of famous players from the 2018 U23 Asian Cup in Changzhou (China), such as central defender Bui Tien Dung, Do Duy Manh and Pham Xuan Manh. Even if they had not been injured, the number of players in this group participating in the national team would have been even larger, including midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai, defender Vu Van Thanh, midfielder Chau Ngoc Quang and striker Nguyen Van Toan.

During the FIFA Days gathering in October 2025, in preparation for the two matches against Nepal, coach Kim Sang-sik will have the opportunity to review the squad and evaluate the performance of the veterans, in order to find a way to renew the core force, before entering the decisive rematch with Malaysia at the end of March 2026.

Hope has a basis

Nguyen Tien Linh and Pham Tuan Hai are still the leading strikers of the Vietnamese national team, but this striker duo has not reached their peak performance during their time playing for their home clubs in the V-League. This is also the reason why Tien Linh and Tuan Hai were on the reserve list in the second match of Group F of the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

After 6 rounds of V-League, Tien Linh has scored 3 goals but the striker born in 1997 has not yet shown his full ability to finish in a variety of ways. Although he has had many opportunities to face off and finish well, the goals of the striker of Ho Chi Minh City Police Club all came from "air combat" situations.

Having been the main striker of the Vietnamese national team for the past 3 years, Tuan Hai is struggling to regain his "goal-scoring" instinct. After a period of rest due to injury, the Hanoi FC striker's ball sense and physical foundation have declined, scoring only 2 goals after 6 matches played in the V-League this season.

In the FIFA Days in October 2025, in addition to Tien Linh and Tuan Hai, coach Kim Sang-sik also called up 3 more strikers for the Vietnam team, including: Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan, Gia Hung. Compared to their juniors, Tien Linh and Tuan Hai are more trusted thanks to their rich playing experience. Therefore, the 2 matches against Nepal will be an opportunity for this duo to affirm their class as well as their irreplaceable position in the Vietnamese team's attack.

Similarly, Tien Dung, Duy Manh and Xuan Manh also need to maintain their form and fitness to have a place in the Vietnam national team's squad for the upcoming 3rd and 4th matches of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Not only being an example for their juniors to follow, this group of senior players also needs to demonstrate their competitive spirit, fulfill their leadership role well, and meet the expectations of the national team's coaching staff as well as the home audience.

"The combination of youth and experience is expected to create depth and balance for the Vietnamese team. This is also a way to ensure continuity and maintain stability in the playing style of coach Kim Sang-sik's team" - Coach Pham Minh Duc commented.