Laos coach: "It would be a mistake to only focus on Xuan Son"

“We have prepared well and are ready. Although we know this is a difficult match, the whole team will fight with all our might. We not only want to win but also want to learn from a stronger team like Vietnam,” coach Ha Hyeok Jun shared at a press conference before the match. Tomorrow night (7 p.m., November 19), the Laos team will host Vietnam at the Laos National Stadium in the 5th match of the 2027 Asian Cup group stage.

The Korean coach said Laos's goals are clear and realistic: limit mistakes, not concede goals and make the most of every opportunity, no matter how small.

HLV Lào: “Sẽ thật sai lầm nếu chỉ tập trung vào Xuân Son” - 1 — Laos national team coach, Mr. Ha Hyeok Jun (Photo: Khoa Nguyen).

Coach Ha Hyeok Jun also revealed that he and Coach Kim Sang Sik are close friends, both from Busan (South Korea): “Of course, if I lose to Vietnam, I will not be happy. But I have to admit that what Coach Kim Sang Sik is doing for the Vietnamese team is great. We want to win, but at the same time we will also learn a lot from this match.”

Evaluating striker Nguyen Xuan Son, coach Ha Hyeok Jun has special respect: “He is a very good, very excellent player. However, if we focus too much on Xuan Son, we will neglect the other players. Whether Xuan Son or Quang Hai plays, we will still follow the established playing style.”

Coach Ha Hyeok Jun also expressed his impression of the Vietnamese people's love for football: "I know the passion of Vietnamese players, reporters and fans always pushes your country's football forward. The attention you give to the team is truly impressive.

I believe that the passion not only of the players but also of the media and fans has contributed to the remarkable progress of Vietnamese football. This strong development is not only happening in Vietnam but also spreading throughout the Southeast Asia region. I see a very bright future for football here."

Also attending the press conference, striker Bounphachan Bounkong highly appreciated the strength of the Vietnamese team and emphasized that this is a big challenge for the Lao team.

“This is an important match because we have to face a very strong team. Vietnam has good speed and that is their big strength. We understand that and will try our best in tomorrow's match,” said Bounkong.

Bounphachan said his personal goal is to play his best to inspire the team. He also admitted that the large Vietnamese fan base could create pressure, but called on his teammates to stay confident.

“No matter who the opponent is, this is still a big match at home. There are a lot of Vietnamese fans, I don't want my teammates to feel pressured. We just need to play our own style, not too stressed. Hopefully we will have a good match," Bounkong said.