Vietnam team says goodbye to Asian Cup 2023 finals and returns home

After the loss to Iraq, the Vietnamese national team didn't have much time to rest and returned home immediately on a flight departing at 1:45 AM on January 25th (local time).

Bui Hoang Viet Anh scored a goal for the Vietnamese national team. (Photo: Quynh Anh)

Concluding their journey at the 2023 Asian Cup finals, the Vietnamese national team returned home on January 25th. The team split into two groups; the first group arrived at Doha Airport (Qatar) at midnight and was expected to arrive at Noi Bai Airport ( Hanoi ) at 12:25 AM the same day. The second group arrived in Hanoi at 7:10 AM on January 26th.

Thus, after the match against Iraq, many members of the Vietnamese national team did not have much time to rest. However, what saddened everyone the most was not achieving their goals at the 2023 Asian Cup.

The Vietnamese national team was the first to be eliminated from the tournament, failing to score any points after three consecutive losses in the group stage. This result and performance did not satisfy the fans. Coach Troussier and his players are under considerable pressure.

However, the French coach stated: "In this tournament, I think the Vietnamese team was unlucky to be in the same group as Japan and Iraq. It was a difficult group. But in the end, I think the team left the tournament with a good image, a positive image."

Meanwhile, center-back Bui Hoang Viet Anh expressed his regret and pointed out the biggest lesson learned by the Vietnamese national team in the 2023 Asian Cup campaign.

"It's hard to put my feelings into words right now. As everyone knows, the Vietnamese team's defeat in the final seconds was very unfortunate."

In the last match, the whole team played very well and put in a lot of effort, but that red card forced us to retreat and play defensively, giving the opposing team a chance to score and win.

Our biggest lesson is experience and the importance of staying focused until the very last second. The Vietnamese national team has many upcoming matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, so we must always maintain our focus.

Although the Vietnamese team didn't perform successfully in this tournament, I personally hope that the fans will always support and stand by the team during the most difficult times so that we can perform well in the future."

After returning to Vietnam, the players will return to their clubs to continue training in preparation for the 2023/24 V-League season and take a break for the Lunar New Year. It is expected that on March 10th, the Vietnamese national team will reconvene in Hanoi to prepare for two crucial matches against Indonesia in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The first leg will be played away on March 21st, while the second leg will be played at My Dinh Stadium on March 26th.

( According to Dan Tri newspaper)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-chia-tay-vck-asian-cup-2023-tro-ve-nuoc-258652.html