Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers: Vietnam National Team Reviewing Its Forces

During this training session, the Vietnamese team will not have any international friendly matches but will only play behind closed doors against Hanoi Police and Nam Dinh. This is considered an important opportunity for Korean coach Kim Sang-sik to review the squad and evaluate new players when many key players are absent.

This training session of the Vietnamese national team will help coach Kim Sang-sik review the squad and evaluate new players. Photo: VFF

Among the 24 players called up this time, there are faces that have not been called up under coach Kim Sang-sik. They include two goalkeepers Quan Van Chuan and Nguyen Van Viet; defenders Tran Hoang Phuc and Dinh Quang Kiet; midfielders Ly Cong Hoang Anh and Nguyen Duc Chien and striker Pham Gia Hung.

Along with that, many players also returned after a long absence, such as defender Dang Van Toi ( Nam Dinh ), Trieu Viet Hung (Hai Phong). Phan Tuan Tai (The Cong Viettel) and Doan Ngoc Tan (Thanh Hoa) also returned after injuries.

This time, the review and renewal process continues as Nguyen Filip, Nguyen Dinh Trieu, Dang Van Lam, Bui Tien Dung, Bui Hoang Viet Anh... give way to players who are performing well at the club.

The personnel changes appear widely, from the goalkeeper position to the forward line of the Vietnam team. The list of players this time is quite surprising with names such as: 18-year-old young center back Dinh Quang Kiet (HAGL), striker Pham Gia Hung (Ninh Binh FC), center back Tran Hoang Phuc ( Ho Chi Minh City Police team)...

The new players summoned this time will have the opportunity to prove their abilities. Photo: VFF

The third training session this year is considered a great opportunity for new players to prove themselves. The fact that veteran goalkeepers Nguyen Filip, Dang Van Lam and Dinh Trieu were not called up will be an opportunity for young goalkeepers Quan Van Chuan and Nguyen Van Viet to prove their abilities.

Van Viet has often been on the list of U23 Vietnam and the Vietnam national team in recent years. However, the player who grew up in the SLNA training center has not had the opportunity to show his talent. The times this goalkeeper "ate national team food" are all aimed at learning from the experience of his seniors.

Meanwhile, Quan Van Chuan is a young goalkeeper but has often been given the opportunity to start in recent seasons for Hanoi FC. Despite his young age, Van Chuan shows maturity in his moves, good ability to read situations and sharp reflexes.

The point to look forward to is that both young goalkeepers have a modern playing style, quick reflexes, and good counter-attacking ability with accurate long kicks.

In the friendly match with Hanoi Police, Van Viet and Van Chuan will have the opportunity to compete directly with their senior Nguyen Filip. This is not only a challenge but also a valuable opportunity for the two young goalkeepers to learn experience and at the same time demonstrate their abilities in front of the national team's coaching staff.

Besides, after impressive performances in round 1 of V-League 2025 - 2026, defenders Tran Hoang Phuc (Ho Chi Minh City Police), Dinh Quang Kiet (HAGL), midfielder Ly Cong Hoang Anh (Nam Dinh), striker Pham Gia Hung (Ninh Binh) will also be given opportunities under coach Kim Sang-sik.

The Vietnam team will be led by interim coach Dinh Hong Vinh. According to the plan, they will play friendly matches with Nam Dinh Club and Hanoi Police Club on September 4 and 7. These are 2 clubs participating in Southeast Asian and Asian competitions, so they have a large number of foreign players. As for Nam Dinh, the team from Thanh Nam can field a squad of 11 foreign players. Therefore, the Vietnam team will have quality practice matches, not inferior to strong teams in Asia.

Through these important training matches, the coaching staff hopes to have more practical data to evaluate the effectiveness of personnel plans, while helping the players maintain their form, accumulate cohesion and international competition skills before entering the key campaign at the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

The next three matches in Group F of the final qualifying round of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup of the Vietnam national team will take place in October and November.

The AFC Asian Cup 2027 regulations stipulate that the 6 teams ranked first in the 6 groups in the final qualifying round will qualify for the finals. After the heavy loss to Malaysia on June 10, the chances of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team entering the AFC Asian Cup 2027 finals are very low.

To advance, the Vietnamese team needs to win all remaining matches in the group stage and hope that Malaysia stumbles against their opponents or that coach Kim Sang-sik's team must surpass this team with a score difference of at least 5 goals in the rematch in March 2026.

Recently, the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) officially confirmed that President Datuk Mohd Joehari Ayub has submitted his resignation. The country's football community is urgently looking for a replacement, if they do not want to be punished by FIFA. With Malaysian football in a chaotic situation, the strength of the national team may decline in the near future. Therefore, the Vietnamese team can rekindle their chances in the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/vong-loai-asian-cup-2027-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-ra-soat-luc-luong-20250828142729234.htm