Vietnam National Team: Coach Kim Sang-sik's quality list

EXPECTATIONS OF MR. PHUONG , Q UANG VINH

Coach Kim Sang-sik announced the list of 23 players to join the Vietnamese team on May 29, preparing for the away match at Bukit Jalil Stadium of Malaysia - the number 1 opponent in the 3rd qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. Among them, we see 2 new names but carrying a lot of expectations: Cong Phuong and Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.

Cong Phuong returns to Vietnam national team

Photo: Ngoc Linh

Cong Phuong has been mentioned a lot since coach Kim Sang-sik took over the Vietnam national team, but injuries have forced him to wait until now. With 7 goals in 13 matches for Binh Phuoc Club, Cong Phuong is only less prominent than Hoang Duc in the first division. Cong Phuong returned to the Vietnam national team a bit late but deservedly. This is an opportunity for him to express his burning desire to contribute to the national team, where there are still many familiar friends such as Tien Linh, Tuan Hai, Hoang Duc, Quang Hai... Although he left the Vietnam national team after scoring against Palestine in September 2023, Cong Phuong will still be the center of attention, because he has experience and the ability to create breakthroughs.

CAHN team's players were called up to the national team and U.22

Another promising name is Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, a Vietnamese-American player who has had Vietnamese citizenship since March 2025. The left-back born in 1997 is performing outstandingly for the Hanoi Police Club. His strong and reasonable playing style will complement the left wing next to Van Vi. In particular, this player used to play for Sochaux Club (Ligue 2, France) and the US professional league, can play well in the left center-back position in a 3-center-back formation, which will also help coach Kim have more options for the defense.

List of Vietnam team

Goalkeepers: Nguyen Filip, Nguyen Dinh Trieu, Tran Trung Kien

Defenders: Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh, Nguyen Thanh Binh, Bui Tien Dung, Truong Tien Anh, Nguyen Thanh Chung, Do Duy Manh, Pham Xuan Manh, Nguyen Van Vi

Midfielders: Nguyen Quang Hai, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Duc Chien, Nguyen Hai Long, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa, Nguyen Hoang Duc, Chau Ngoc Quang

Forwards: Nguyen Tien Linh, Pham Tuan Hai, Dinh Thanh Binh, Nguyen Cong Phuong.

MR. K IM'S CAREFUL CALCULATION

Unfortunately, the Vietnamese team will not have the services of Van Thanh, Vi Hao, Tan Tai, Xuan Son, Ngoc Tan... due to injuries. Coach Kim Sang-sik has not called Van Toan, Van Lam, Van Duc, Dinh Bac... for this training session due to various reasons.

Football expert Doan Minh Xuong believes that the Korean coach has a good reason: "Perhaps few people object to the presence of Cong Phuong and Quang Vinh in this training session. Cong Phuong still plays effectively and eagerly in the Binh Phuoc club shirt. In particular, his ability to exploit set pieces will be a good suggestion for coach Kim Sang-sik. Quang Vinh's quality promises to bring long-term stability to the left wing of the Vietnamese team. Note that both are experienced and ready to contribute immediately, showing that coach Kim Sang-sik prioritizes stability over experimentation."

Also according to Mr. Doan Minh Xuong, the list of 23 players of the Vietnamese team brings the promise of practical solutions when we possess important advantages before visiting Malaysia.

"The Vietnamese team is ahead of Malaysia in terms of goal difference (+5 compared to +2) and still has the second leg at home in March 2026. Coach Kim Sang-sik has reason to believe in the squad that won the 2024 AFF Cup and is playing consistently in the V-League. In the goalkeeper position, there will be an interesting competition between Dinh Trieu and Nguyen Filip, who are showing high performance for the Hanoi Police Club, while the defense is in good form. That is the foundation for us to expect new factors such as Cong Phuong, Quang Vinh or young player Minh Khoa to integrate better with the goal of sharing points in the "fire pan" Bukit Jalil", football expert Doan Minh Xuong commented.

It is expected that the Vietnamese team will have a week of training in Vietnam before flying to Malaysia on June 6, to prepare for the match with Malaysia on June 10.

Along with the Vietnam national team, the Vietnam U.23 team will gather at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center to complete the squad, aiming for important tournaments such as the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, the 2026 Asian U.23 qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games. Attention will be focused on overseas Vietnamese striker Bui Alex, who is playing for the Bohemians Praha 1905 B team in the Czech Republic's third division.

The U.23 Vietnam team will gather from May 29 to June 5, including an internal friendly match before the Vietnam team departs for Malaysia.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-ban-danh-sach-chat-luong-cua-hlv-kim-sang-sik-185250522214853335.htm