'The Vietnamese national team needs to improve its mentality for the AFF Cup'

In an interview with Thanh Nien Newspaper, Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Anh Tu affirmed that the Vietnamese national team has not yet achieved good results, but the federation has a roadmap for the entire team to regain their form ahead of the important tournament called the AFF Cup 2024.

Reasons for the decline of the Vietnamese national team.

The Vietnamese national team has yet to make a breakthrough, winning only 1 of their last 5 matches. What are the reasons for this, sir?

Immediately after concluding their final match in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese national team began preparations for the 2024 AFF Cup. This roadmap was developed early on by the VFF, allowing the team to compete against high-quality opponents during the FIFA Days in September (playing against Russia and Thailand) and October (playing against India).

The Vietnamese national team is going through a streak of 4 winless matches.

The VFF proactively planned for the national team's preparation, but unforeseen difficulties arose, such as Typhoon No. 3 (Super Typhoon Yagi ), which affected the team's training and matches during the FIFA Days in September.

Following that, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Lebanese team was unable to travel to Vietnam for the match because they encountered difficulties in finding flights, resulting in the team having only one match during the FIFA Days in October instead of the two originally planned.

Regarding the results of the last five matches, the team won against the Philippines at home and lost to Iraq (a very strong opponent) with a score of 1-3 away in the second round of World Cup qualifiers. During the FIFA Days in September, the team played against Russia and Thailand, both considered stronger opponents, and given that the players were not in their best form due to preparing for the V-League, the results were not as expected.

By the time of the FIFA Days in October, the V-League had completed 4 rounds, so we can see that the players' fitness and form have improved, and their playing style has also become much better.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is under pressure.

With the AFF Cup less than two months away, what plans does the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) have to strengthen the team under coach Kim Sang-sik?

For FIFA Days friendly matches, the main objective for the Vietnamese national team remains to gain experience, build a strong squad, and improve their playing style in preparation for the official tournament, the Southeast Asian Championship.

The Vietnamese national team's squad also includes a mix of promising young players and seasoned veterans, creating a strong and diverse lineup. This demonstrates the team's proactive approach to squad building and long-term strategy.

In the upcoming final stages, the VFF will ensure that the national team's activities are carried out according to the plan, which will of course include some necessary adjustments based on the head coach's suggestions and after consultation with the National Coaches Council.

During this crucial phase, the team will focus on training for a longer period than the previous two training camps, including a training camp and friendly matches in South Korea at the end of November.

The Vietnamese national team needs to improve their physical fitness and finishing.

Will the VFF adjust the Vietnamese national team's goals for the AFF Cup, given the current form of the Vietnamese team and the movements of key rivals such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia?

The team's goal remains to reach the final and strive to compete for the AFF Cup 2024 championship. Although the team's current form is not yet consistent, we have confidence in the abilities of the players and coaching staff.

The Standing Committee of the VFF Executive Board also instructed the professional department to continue closely monitoring opponents such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia to support the Vietnamese national team's coaching staff in making appropriate tactical adjustments.

The Vietnamese national team will face fierce competition from Thailand and Indonesia at the 2024 AFF Cup.

What does the Vietnamese national team still lack to compete with Thailand and Indonesia at the 2024 AFF Cup?

Based on the FIFA Days matches in September and October, I personally believe the team needs to improve its finishing ability and consistency in play. In addition, enhancing physical fitness and mental fortitude are also crucial factors in competing with strong opponents like Thailand and Indonesia.

Furthermore, we also need solutions to balance the power dynamics, given that our regional competitors are becoming much stronger thanks to their large contingent of naturalized players.

The V-League will resume in October and November. Combined with the training camp in South Korea, will the players quickly regain their form?

It can be said that the national team's decision not to hold training camps according to the FIFA Days schedule in November was part of a plan already developed by the VFF for the team, rather than an adjustment. This aims to maintain the players' fitness and form through the V-League competition.

At the same time, the VFF will use the FIFA Days break in November to compensate for the training camp leading up to the AFF Cup, thereby giving the coaching staff more time to utilize and refine personnel and playing style.

Although there are no international friendly matches like those during FIFA Days in September and October, the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation) has planned for the Vietnamese national team to gain experience by playing against opponents that meet the coaching staff's professional requirements during their training camp in South Korea this time.

The entire team is on a training camp in South Korea starting November 21st.

What specific psychological and morale-boosting measures does the Vietnamese national team need to recover?

The most important thing, besides thorough preparation for the Vietnamese national team, is the encouragement and support of the media and especially the fans.

In football, there are wins and losses, and ups and downs. I believe that team spirit and positive energy will help the team overcome this difficult period and move into a new cycle of development.

Thank you for the conversation!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/pho-chu-tich-vff-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-can-cai-thien-tinh-than-cho-aff-cup-185241015160506957.htm