Hoang Duc: 'The absence of Cong Phuong is a big loss for the Vietnamese team'

Midfielder Hoang Duc said that the absence of Cong Phuong is a loss for the Vietnamese team before the match against Malaysia on June 10 in the third qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Hoang Duc: 'I'm sad that Cong Phuong left the national team'

Compared to yesterday (June 2), this afternoon's training session of the Vietnamese team had a change in personnel, when striker Cong Phuong was injured, forcing coach Kim Sang-sik to summon Quoc Viet to replace him. Sharing with the press, Hoang Duc shared: "Anyone on the team being injured makes us feel sad. Unfortunately, Cong Phuong cannot accompany the team in the next stage."

Hoang Duc confided: "It's been a long time since Cong Phuong returned, so we are excited and welcome him. However, unfortunately Phuong is injured. This is a big loss for the team before the match against Malaysia."

Hoang Duc in the Vietnamese national team jersey

PHOTO: VUONG ANH

Cong Phuong had to practice separately and could not join the team in the first two training sessions (which took place on May 31 and June 1). It was not until yesterday that the 30-year-old striker first practiced with his teammates. Coach Kim Sang-sik assigned him the role of coordinating the ball, initiating attacks and connecting the play. Although there were still some unsatisfactory moves, Cong Phuong made an effort to complete the training session.

However, the pain in Cong Phuong's foot relapsed, causing the striker born in 1995 to not meet coach Kim Sang-sik's training plan. Cong Phuong withdrew from the Vietnam national team, leading to Mr. Kim having to call Quoc Viet from the U.22 team to replace him.

Injury worsens, Cong Phuong leaves Vietnam national team

"Every member of the Vietnamese team is important. No one is happy when they know they are injured. We encourage Cong Phuong to get treatment and return soon," Hoang Duc confided.

'Vietnam team watched Malaysia on video'

Hoang Duc was once with the Vietnamese team to beat Malaysia 2-1 in the second leg of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers (June 2021), or scored in the 3-0 victory over the "Tigers" in the group stage of the 2020 AFF Cup (December 2021). However, the Malaysian team is different.

Hoang Duc shared: "This time, the Malaysian team has many new naturalized players. We watched them on video. It's been a long time since the Vietnamese team played. Hopefully the upcoming match will be exciting."

Hoang Duc is a mainstay in the midfield

PHOTO: VUONG ANH

The midfielder currently playing for Ninh Binh Club emphasized that the match against Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium on June 10 will be the most important match for the Vietnamese team this year.

"The Vietnamese team's goals will be finalized in the coming days. The match against Malaysia will be the most important match this year. We will prepare our tactics and mentality carefully before the match," Hoang Duc commented.

The Vietnamese team will practice until June 5, then leave for Malaysia on June 6 to prepare for the match against the host team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Tomorrow (June 4), coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will play an internal friendly match with U.22 Vietnam.

After the first round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnamese team leads the group thanks to a 5-0 win over Laos. Malaysia is second in the group after a 2-0 win over Nepal.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoang-duc-vang-cong-phuong-la-ton-that-lon-cua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-185250603174011151.htm