Vietnam futsal team confident in opening match of Asian qualifiers

Vietnam futsal team confident in opening match of Asian qualifiers

In the press conference before the opening match, coach Diego Giustozzi said: “We had 3 weeks of training in Vietnam, followed by 10 days of training in Kuwait and China. I think the whole team has prepared well for this mission.”

The Vietnamese futsal team is in Group E with China, Hong Kong (China) and Lebanon. Mr. Diego Giustozzi commented: “For me personally, this is a challenging group. There may be many different opinions about the level of the teams, but in my opinion all three opponents are quality teams.

Vietnam futsal team aims for Asian qualifiers. Photo: VFF.

This is definitely not an easy group. The coaching staff always tries to prepare the players mentally for the competition. I believe in my players, and as long as they are confident in themselves, we will have nothing to worry about."

According to the schedule, the Vietnam futsal team will face off against Hong Kong (China), China and Lebanon at the Linping Sport Center Gymnasium, Hangzhou. On the FIFA rankings, all three opponents are ranked below the Vietnam futsal team. In the past, the Vietnam futsal team has also faced all three of these opponents, and achieved positive results.

The opportunity to practice and compete with strong opponents during the preparation period is expected to give the Vietnamese futsal team great confidence when entering the tournament. The combination of experienced players and young players will be the foundation for coach Diego Giustozzi and his team to realize the goal set in Group E.

In the preparation journey for the 2026 Asian Futsal Qualifiers, coach Diego Giustozzi not only focused on building the optimal squad but also received strong support from an experienced team of assistants.

Notably, the presence of coach Nguyen Tuan Anh - who was associated with Sahako FC during a successful period with 3 national runner-up titles (2019, 2020, 2021) and the championship in 2022, before moving to lead Thai Son Nam Ho Chi Minh City and consecutively won the national championship for 2 seasons in 2024 and 2025.

Spanish goalkeeping coach Javier Arrivi Laureiro, who worked with coach Diego Giustozzi at Spanish top-flight club ElPozo Murcia, also brings quality to the coaching staff.

In terms of strength, besides experienced veterans, the Vietnamese futsal team also possesses a squad of talented young players, promising to create a new momentum: Nhan Gia Hung, Dinh Cong Vien (born in 2002); Vu Ngoc Anh (2004); Nguyen Da Hai, Trinh Cong Dai, Luu Thanh Bao (2005); Tran Quang Nguyen (2006). This is the next generation that is expected to mature quickly through international competition.

Captain Pham Duc Hoa expressed the determination and optimism of the whole team: "We players are all trying our best with the goal of passing the qualifying round with maximum points and the most convincing performances."

The Vietnamese futsal team has passed the Asian futsal group stage for 5 consecutive times to reach the Asian futsal finals. The goal of coach Diego Giustozzi and his students is to reach the continental futsal playground for the 6th consecutive time. In the future, the Vietnamese futsal team will gradually prepare for the goal of winning a ticket to the next World Cup.

Hanoi FC changes Executive Director

Hanoi FC has made personnel adjustments to the team's leadership. Accordingly, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan will leave his position as Executive Director, making way for Mr. Le Trong Thuy - who will be directly responsible for the management of the capital's football team.

In addition, former national player Van Sy Hung was appointed as sports director. Mr. Hung was associated with Hanoi FC's youth training centers as well as many local football development projects.

The changes in the management board took place right after Hanoi FC parted ways with coach Makoto Teguramori. The Japanese strategist could not help the team maintain their form, as they only earned 1 point after 3 rounds of V.League and were soon stopped at the National Cup qualifying round.

In the meantime, technical director Yusuke Adachi has been given temporary charge of the team for the matches against The Cong Viettel and Dong A Thanh Hoa. At the same time, the board of directors is actively looking for a new head coach, with candidates coming from France, Spain and Japan.

Since the successful period under coach Chu Dinh Nghiem, Hanoi FC has undergone more than 10 changes on the coaching bench but no one has truly created long-term stability.

The simultaneous adjustment of both management and coaching staff this time shows that the capital team is entering a strong restructuring process, with the goal of bringing the club back to a competitive position for the V.League championship.

HH

Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/tuyen-futsal-viet-nam-tu-tin-tran-ra-quan-vong-loai-chau-a-i781908/