Coach Gong Oh-kyun: 'CAHN won against HAGL without difficulty'

Coach Gong Oh-kyun was relaxed after his opening match with Hanoi Police in the preliminary round of the 2023-2024 National Cup, despite having to come from behind to defeat HAGL 2-1.

At Hang Day Stadium on the evening of November 25th, HAGL took the lead thanks to Chau Ngoc Quang's goal after a well-coordinated play outside the penalty area. However, CAHN continued to press and found two goals in the 36th minute through Ho Ngoc Thang and the 74th minute through Jefferson Elias.

"This victory wasn't hard-fought," coach Gong Oh-kyun said at the post-match press conference at Hang Day Stadium. "The players worked hard and this is the reward."

Coach Gong Oh-kyun in the technical area during CAHN's victory over HAGL in the National Cup on the evening of November 25th. Photo: Hieu Luong

In this match, coach Gong Oh-kyun surprised everyone by fielding striker Nguyen Xuan Nam and right-back Ho Tan Tai as central midfielders. The South Korean coach said he had been following Ho Tan Tai for a long time and knew that the player could move from the wing to play in the midfield. Young players like La Nguyen Bao Trung, Pham Gia Hung, and Ha Van Phuong started the game. Coach Gong said that CAHN's tactics would still change because the national team players had only been training together for two days.

Before leading CAHN, Coach Gong Oh-kyun spent many years as an assistant coach for the South Korean U17, U18, U20, and U23 teams. In 2020 and 2021, he served as an assistant coach for the Indonesian national team under Coach Shin Tae-yong. Following that, he coached the Vietnam U23 team, reaching the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC U23 Championship.

When asked about the difference between coaching CAHN and the Vietnam U23 team, Coach Gong said everything is the same. "Coaches have the same mindset whether working for a national team or a club," he said. "I'm no longer the Vietnam U23 coach; now you should call me the coach of CAHN."

Goalkeeper Duong Van Loi (in yellow) made a mistake leading to CAHN's equalizer in the 36th minute, making the score 1-1. Photo: Hieu Luong

This is CAHN's third consecutive victory this season, following their 3-0 win against HAGL and 2-0 against Hanoi FC in the V-League. In the Round of 16 of the National Cup, CAHN will face Viettel .

Meanwhile, HAGL has suffered three consecutive defeats. Coach Kiatisuk Senamuang said the team remains confident about the upcoming matches because the V-League has only gone through three rounds. "If we win one or two matches, we will be in a different position," he said.

Hieu Luong

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