Unexpected lineup to play Nepal: Van Lam as the main goalkeeper, Hoang Duc as the 'strange' pair

The official lineup of the Vietnamese team for the match against Nepal at 7:30 p.m. today (October 9) has been revealed.

List of main players of Vietnam national team

Coach Kim Sang-sik has finalized the 11 players for the Vietnamese team to start the match against Nepal, taking place at 7:30 p.m. today (October 9) at Binh Duong Stadium within the framework of the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Guarding the goal is goalkeeper Dang Van Lam. After a year of waiting, Van Lam has returned to the main goalkeeper for the Vietnam national team. The last time he played in an official match was against the Philippines (Vietnam won 3-2) in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, which took place in June 2024.

Audiences flocked to Go Dau Stadium

The Vietnamese team has great expectations.

Photo: VFF

Van Lam returns

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

The three central defenders include Do Duy Manh (captain), Pham Xuan Manh and Bui Tien Dung. On the two wings, Mr. Kim used two familiar faces including Cao Pendant Quang Vinh and Truong Tien Anh.

A surprise happened in midfield, when the person chosen to play alongside Nguyen Hoang Duc was Le Pham Thanh Long. The midfielder of Hanoi Police Club finally became the "main actor" under Mr. Kim, after many matches on the bench.

Coach Kim Sang-sik: Focus on the match with Nepal, regretful of Quang Hai's absence

Tuan Hai and Quang Vinh played from the start.

Hoang Duc will pair with Le Pham Thanh Long, captain Duy Manh.

Hoang Duc will pair with Le Pham Thanh Long, captain Duy Manh.

On the attack line, Nguyen Tien Linh plays center forward, the two supporting players behind are Pham Tuan Hai and Nguyen Hai Long.

Vietnam team ranked second in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers with 3 points (won Laos 5-0, lost Malaysia 0-4). Meanwhile, Nepal ranked last in the group with 0 points (lost to Laos 1-2, lost to Malaysia 0-2).

Coach Kim Sang-sik declared: "The only goal in the next two matches is to get all six points. We must aim for victory in both matches. Through video analysis, it can be seen that Nepal has some dangerous players, especially No. 7 and No. 14 - who need to be tightly blocked.

However, the most important thing is to prepare well for tactics and focus on the Vietnamese team's playing style, instead of paying too much attention to the opponent."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-hinh-bat-ngo-dau-nepal-van-lam-bat-chinh-hoang-duc-cap-nhan-vat-la-185251009092830082.htm