Hoang Duc regrets the absence of his senior Cong Phuong on the Vietnam national team.

(NLDO) - Midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc hopes to have a good match with his Vietnamese teammates against Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 10.

Midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc affirmed that the match against Malaysia in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup is the most important match in 2025 for the Vietnamese team, and hopes to have a good match with his teammates against this opponent on June 10 at Bukit Jalil Stadium (Kuala Lumpur).

After the first round, Vietnam and Malaysia both got 3 points, but coach Kim Sang-sik's team temporarily led Group F thanks to a better secondary index. However, the Vietnamese team is facing many difficulties in terms of personnel before the "early final" match with Malaysia in the second round.

Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong was forced to leave the national team due to a plantar fasciitis and will need about two weeks to recover. Coach Kim Sang-sik called up young striker Nguyen Quoc Viet from the Vietnam U22 team to replace Cong Phuong.

Sharing about Cong Phuong's absence, midfielder Hoang Duc expressed: "My teammates and I are all sad that Cong Phuong cannot continue to accompany the team in the upcoming period. It has been a long time since Phuong returned to the team. He, like the other members, are very important to the team."

Besides, the Vietnamese team is also missing a number of other important players due to injuries such as Nguyen Van Toan, Nguyen Xuan Son, Bui Vi Hao, Doan Ngoc Tan, Vu Van Thanh, Nguyen Thanh Binh and Bui Hoang Viet Anh.

On the opponent's side, according to media information, to prepare for the reception of the Vietnamese team, the Malaysian team has strengthened its squad with many quality naturalized players such as Gabriel Palmero, Hector Hevel, Facundo Garces and Imanol Machuca.

Commenting on the home team in the upcoming match, Hoang Duc said: "This time, the Malaysian team has many new naturalized players. We have watched them on video. It has been three years since the Vietnamese team last met Malaysia. Hopefully the upcoming match will be a good one."

The Vietnamese team will continue to practice in Hanoi until June 5, then move to Malaysia on the morning of June 6.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/hoang-duc-tiec-nuoi-vi-thieu-vang-dan-anh-cong-phuong-tren-tuyen-viet-nam-196250603210026948.htm