Philippe Troussier, head coach of Vietnam U23 national team, believes his team is ready for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 finals in Qatar next April, and has respect for his opponents in the same group.
Vietnam U23 national team has drawn in Group D along with Uzbekistan, Kuwait, and Malaysia.
“For me, each group and each match brings unique challenges. We all know that this U23 Asian Finals is special for the teams in general and me in particular, because the tournament is also a Qualifier towards the 2024 Olympic Games held in France.” Troussier said
“Regarding the three opponents in the same group as U23 Vietnam, Uzbekistan is theoretically considered the strongest team because they have regularly won good results at youth tournaments at the continental level in recent years. I assess Kuwait and Malaysia as direct competitors for the ticket to pass the group stage with U23 Vietnam. But like I said, no match will be easy because they have the same dream as us: to go as deep as possible and have a place in Paris 2024.”
Simultaneously taking on the leadership position of the Vietnamese team and the U23 Vietnam team has helped coach Philippe Troussier have certain advantages in selecting and building a solid force of players to serve both teams’ goals. The French strategist also showed foresight and initiative in preparations for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 finals when convening many young players to participate in training sessions on FIFA Days with the national team. , in which some players even showed their qualities quite well when allowed to enter the field, such as Phan Tuan Tai, Vo Minh Trong, Nguyen Thai Son, Nguyen Dinh Bac
“The group of U23 Vietnam players have been with me for a long time over the past 9 months, accumulating experience in many different tournaments, both at home and abroad. national team and youth team levels.”
“Some individuals were even used at the last two FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches, which were inherently difficult and high pressure. With such continuous preparation and accumulation, I believe the players and the entire team possess a certain confidence and foundation to be ready to face the upcoming challenges.”
“We still need to continue to improve further to be maximally ready against the continent’s top opponents. Of course, in the coming time, I will coordinate closely with departments under VFF to draft the most specific and in-depth preparation plan before the tournament.”
Credit Photo : VFF
