The journey to rebuild trust

The Vietnamese national team players are actively preparing for the 2024 AFF Cup.

The ups and downs of the Vietnamese national team.

Under coach Park Hang-seo, the Vietnamese national team experienced its most successful period in history, spanning five years from the end of 2017, when Vietnamese football hit rock bottom with a disappointing SEA Games in Malaysia, and ending in the 2022 AFF Cup final.

This was followed by a downward spiral of results, with a series of failures at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the 2023 Asian Cup under coach Philippe Troussier, and most recently, the beginning of coach Kim Sang-sik's tenure.

This has led to a decline in fan confidence, evidenced by the huge empty spaces in My Dinh Stadium during what should theoretically be exciting friendly matches like the one between Russia and rival Thailand.

During the preparation for the 2024 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese national team under coach Kim Sang-sik has not really shown much promise, with 1 win (3-2 against the Philippines) and 3 losses against Iraq, Russia, and Thailand.

Coach Kim Sang-sik instructs Thanh Bình during a training session in South Korea on November 26th.

That was the price Kim paid to clearly see the true strength of the Vietnamese national team, preparing for a personnel revolution demonstrated through a series of departures of former key players, opening up opportunities for younger players like Hai Long, Van Khang, Vi Hao, Van Truong, Quoc Viet, Thai Son…

Kim will have to continue, effectively, the unfinished revolution initiated during Troussier's time, avoiding the mistakes of his predecessor by achieving a balance between style of play and results with the players he trusts.

New beginnings, new expectations.

We face many challenges ahead, including Laos' 1-1 draw with Thailand, Indonesia's victory over Saudi Arabia in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the Philippines' 2-1 win against Tajikistan (ranked above Vietnam in the FIFA rankings), and Myanmar's rapid progress in the group stage matches.

Clearly, every match in the 2024 AFF Cup will not be easy, requiring the Vietnamese team to deliver a positive performance from the start. To aim for the 2024 AFF Cup final, the Vietnamese team will have to defeat formidable opponents like Thailand and Indonesia in Group A.

The Vietnamese national team is currently training in South Korea.

Only victory, and a convincing victory at that, can help the Vietnamese national team regain the fans' trust and forget the prolonged two-year slump. To achieve this goal, coach Kim Sang-sik has been decisive, willing to make changes to create a new breakthrough for the Vietnamese national team.

Initially, this spirit of the South Korean coach is encouraging young players, new faces, and even established names to move forward strongly, opening up a new and promising cycle for the Vietnamese national team.

As center-back Duy Mạnh shared: "In terms of inspiration, all the players are the same. The whole team came here with the highest determination and great excitement. This is the right time for the whole team to accumulate energy to enter the tournament in the best physical condition and form."

Southeast Asian football is developing, and our opponents are getting stronger. Therefore, not only I, but all of us in the national team must show the highest determination to help the Vietnamese team be the strongest when we enter the tournament."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/doi-tuyen-viet-nam-hanh-trinh-xay-lai-niem-tin-185241126162237336.htm