Cong Phuong is fighting his biggest rival

Over the past 2 years, Nguyen Cong Phuong has continuously struggled with various injuries and relapses, preventing him from entering the 2025/26 season with Dong Nai as expected.

Cong Phuong is facing something that no player can avoid: physical wear and tear and the marks of time.

Over the past decade, Cong Phuong has been a symbol of perseverance and ambition on the Vietnamese football field. He was once a rare player who combined technique, speed and physical strength - a true "tireless player". But now, at the age of 30, Phuong is facing something that no player can avoid: the wear and tear of his body and the marks of time.

From “tireless man” to trauma victim

In the past, Cong Phuong was almost immune to injury. During his time with HAGL and TP.HCM, he often played more than 20 matches per season - the only exception was 2021 when the tournament was canceled due to Covid-19. But in the past two years, that is no longer true.

Since returning from Japan, the Nghe An striker’s physical condition has declined significantly. In 2025, he suffered at least three different injuries – from his ankle, calf to the sole of his foot.

Those injuries not only kept Phuong out, but also directly affected his most powerful weapon: the ability to handle the ball in tight spaces and make sudden accelerations.

An ankle injury caused Phuong to miss the Vietnam national team training camp in March 2024 under Philippe Troussier. Then in June 2025, when coach Kim Sang-sik called him back, Phuong suffered a metatarsal injury, forcing him to leave the team.

Since then, the phrase “mild pain” has appeared continuously next to his name, like a sad refrain. In the first four matches of the 2025/26 First Division season, Truong Tuoi Dong Nai fans only saw Cong Phuong... sitting in the stands.

Cong Phuong is now 30 years old.

Dong Nai’s coaching staff clearly understands Cong Phuong’s value, but they don’t want to take any risks. According to the team, they are “ensuring absolute safety” for this player, prioritizing recovery over forcing him to play. Phuong still trains regularly, even plays friendly matches to maintain his ball feel, but his return to the official squad will still have to wait for more time.

In the 2024/2025 season, Cong Phuong played 12 matches, scored 9 goals and 4 assists, contributing greatly to helping Dong Nai (formerly Truong Tuoi Binh Phuoc ) win the runner-up position. However, coach Viet Thang's current squad is operating stably with the strikers Minh Vuong, Luu Tu Nhan, Ho Thanh Minh and Alex Sandro, so the club does not need to be too hasty. In football, sometimes patience is also a way to respect a monument.

30 is not the end, but it is the time when the body begins to speak up. For a player who has played continuously since the age of 19, cumulative injuries are inevitable. The important thing is that Cong Phuong still maintains a professional spirit, a serious training attitude and a strong desire to come back.

When instinct and experience coexist

Despite his declining physical strength, Cong Phuong’s flair and ball sense remain intact. He still possesses the ability to maneuver in tight spaces, soft touches, and especially an instinctive scoring touch. What Phuong needs now is not to “revisit the old path”, but to find a way of playing that suits his age, where experience is maximized, and physical strength is used more economically.

Cong Phuong once received a lot of expectations.

Cong Phuong today may not be as dominant as the boy in Pleiku, but he can become a different model - a mature player who knows how to choose the moment to shine. Fans who understand and love him are still waiting for that: a Cong Phuong who is calmer, wiser, but still keeps the fire in his eyes.

Time can take away speed and endurance, but it cannot take away passion and fighting spirit. For Cong Phuong, 30 is not the end but another beginning – where strong will and experience redefine who he is.

Fans still have the right to believe: after months of struggling with injuries, Cong Phuong will stand up again - without needing to prove who he is, just needing to continue doing what he does best: playing football with heart.

Source: https://znews.vn/cong-phuong-dang-chien-dau-voi-doi-thu-lon-nhat-post1594448.html