After an unsuccessful performance at the 33rd SEA Games, coach Diego Giustozzi and his team are expected to deliver a more convincing performance at the Asian tournament to regain the fans' trust and reaffirm the position of Vietnamese futsal on the continental stage.
From regional competitions to continental arenas.
The SEA Games 33 left the Vietnamese Futsal team with a sense of regret, as the results did not reflect the expectations of a team that had repeatedly asserted its position as a leading team in Southeast Asia and had even participated in the World Cup. A lack of explosive play, moments of lapses in concentration, and insufficient composure against direct rivals caused the Vietnamese Futsal team to fall behind in the race for medals.
Coach Diego Giustozzi affirmed that the 33rd SEA Games gave him a more accurate view of the true capabilities of the Vietnamese national team. The Argentinian coach said: “Through this SEA Games, I realized that this is the true face of the team. We are capable of competing on equal footing with strong teams, and even defeating Indonesia – a top team in the region.”
"If we play with high concentration and at 100% of our form, we can absolutely defeat any opponent." After the SEA Games 33, the pressure on coach Diego Giustozzi is real, but it also motivates the World Cup-winning coach to prove his worth. The 2026 Asian Futsal Championship therefore becomes the stage for him to rekindle his belief, not through words, but through his playing style and results.
Compared to regional competitions, Asian Futsal is a different story, with many teams possessing superior physical fitness, technical skills, and squad depth. To stand firm, the Vietnamese team cannot rely solely on spirit or skill, but needs a clear tactical structure, discipline, and the ability to adapt quickly.
On the positive side, the team possesses a generation of players with extensive international experience, mixed with ambitious young talents. If given the right roles and executed according to plan, this team has the potential to create surprises. More importantly, the spirit of overcoming difficulties – once a hallmark of Vietnamese Futsal – needs to be rekindled at the right time and in the right place.
The transition from regional to continental competition is a major and challenging step. But it is precisely in this challenge that the Vietnamese national team has the opportunity to rediscover itself, reaffirm its position, and open a new chapter where belief is built through action and aspirations are nurtured by courageous matches.
Preparation is key to success.
To prepare for the Asian Championship, the Vietnamese national team has assembled its strongest squad with 14 players who participated in important warm-up matches during their training camp in Ho Chi Minh City. This included two matches against the Afghanistan Futsal team to assess their strength, refine their playing style, and improve their competitive spirit. Although they lost both matches against Afghanistan, coach Diego Giustozzi considered this a necessary "test" to better prepare the team for the tournament in Indonesia.
“The two matches against Afghanistan showed us areas for improvement and the team's capabilities. I have no doubt about the players' technical skills, but we can't just rely on technique; we need to be more aggressive, more experienced, and have a better understanding of each situation. Afghanistan participated in the recent World Cup, so this is the level needed to reach the World Cup. I'm pleased that after these matches, we were able to clearly define our goals and know what we need to improve.”
The Argentinian coach emphasized that the two recent friendly matches against Afghanistan were very important in setting the direction for the Asian tournament. "When facing Southeast Asian teams like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, or Myanmar, the physical and technical levels are somewhat comparable."
"But when we face other opponents in Asia with different levels of physical fitness and playing quality, we need to raise the bar. The two matches against Afghanistan helped me understand better how to work in the coming days to prepare for matches against opponents of that level," coach Diego Giustozzi expressed.
At the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship, the Vietnamese national team (ranked 20th in the world ) is in Group B, facing Kuwait (ranked 40th in the world) tomorrow, January 27th, Lebanon (ranked 54th in the world) on January 29th, and Thailand (ranked 11th in the world) on January 31st. According to experts, this is a manageable group for coach Diego Giustozzi's team, allowing them to secure one of the top two positions to advance to the quarterfinals.
The Vietnamese national team's best achievement in continental competitions was reaching the semi-finals in 2016, thereby qualifying for the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time in history. With the current squad and being drawn into a relatively favorable group and bracket, the opportunity for Thai Huy and his teammates to repeat that achievement from 10 years ago is entirely plausible.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/cho-man-trinh-dien-thuyet-phuc-200270.html
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