Vietnam National Team: What opportunities are there for the 'new faces'?

Coach Kim Sang Sik is likely to continue using his strongest squad when Vietnam plays Laos again in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Preparing for the match against Laos in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, coach Kim Sang Sik announced the list of players to be called up for the Vietnamese team on the afternoon of November 6. As expected, the Korean strategist decided to "return" all 8 U23 players to U22 Vietnam to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, while also calling back many veterans as well as 2 completely new faces.

The two new recruits of the Vietnam national team are central defender Khong Minh Gia Bao (HCMC CA) and striker Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong (HCMC Becamex). Khong Minh Gia Bao, born in 2000, is considered a central defender with the ability to stick and press, good physical strength and the ability to flexibly use both feet. Meanwhile, Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong, also born in 2000, possesses good speed, technique and finishing ability.

Khong Minh Gia Bao is a new player in the Vietnam national team. Photo: HCMC Police

Expected to be the factors that bring a breath of fresh air to the Vietnamese team, however, experts assess that the chances of both of them playing are not much. The reason is that in the Vietnamese team, there is very high competition, even players with a lot of experience still have to sit on the bench.

Besides Gia Bao and Viet Cuong, players who rarely play in the Vietnam national team such as Van Do, Gia Hung... also have little chance of being used by coach Kim Sang Sik.

The fact that 8 U23 players returned to U22 Vietnam is one of the reasons that forced the Korean strategist to call up the above-mentioned underrated players. Even if they score points in the upcoming training sessions, Coach Kim Sang Sik still aims for safety in the match against Laos.

Vietnam team must beat Laos. Photo: VFF

In fact, in the first leg against Laos, or the two matches against Nepal in October, Mr. Kim gave little chance to young players to ensure victory. In the upcoming match, the Vietnamese team must play their best to aim for the best result, to accumulate points for the race to win a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup Finals.

In particular, coach Kim Sang Sik also considered that Malaysia could be penalized with a 0-3 loss in the two wins against Nepal and Vietnam after the naturalization scandal, so he had to use the strongest and most optimal squad to defeat Laos and soon win a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/co-hoi-nao-cho-nhung-guong-mat-la-o-tuyen-viet-nam-2460168.html