Nguyen Hoang Duc did not play a single minute in the first two matches of the Vietnam national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Asia. Coach Troussier said that the midfielder of Viettel Club has not met his requirements in terms of the ability to contribute to the team's play.

" If we want to achieve positive results against top teams in the continent like Iraq, the Vietnamese team needs to be more unified and disciplined, especially in the off-ball organization. Hoang Duc has not met that condition yet.

I know Hoang Duc won the best player award in V.League 2023, but I want him to try harder and contribute more to the team. In the last training session, I always tried to push him to the maximum, and I also want him to understand my wishes ," coach Troussier explained.

Coach Troussier emphasized that the problem does not lie in Hoang Duc's individual ability. However, in the current Vietnam team, the French coach emphasizes the element of cohesion and the ability to meet the requirements of each player according to the assigned role.

"People tend to put individual talent above the team. Such performances can defeat regional teams. However, against continental opponents, such brilliance is not enough," said Mr. Troussier.

Coach Troussier trusted Nguyen Tuan Anh and Nguyen Thai Son in midfield. Not only Hoang Duc but also Do Hung Dung were not used for a single minute in the two matches, even when the Vietnamese team made substitutions.

Meanwhile, young players like Nguyen Dinh Bac and Khuat Van Khang are continuously given opportunities. However, coach Troussier affirmed that this is not a special favor.

"My goal has never been to try to use a lot of young players, but to find the most cohesive 11 players. I cannot use 11 excellent players without cohesion, but need to find players with clear roles, good cohesion and a balance between the groups of players on the field and on the bench," said coach Troussier.

The French coach reiterated that his mission is not only to help the Vietnamese team maintain the achievements of his predecessor Park Hang Seo. Coach Troussier wants to build a team that can compete fairly at a higher level. To do that, Vietnamese football needs the whole system to make efforts and cannot rely on the national team head coach.

"Previously, Coach Park Hang Seo and Toshiya Miura had good results. I not only have to maintain that, but also have to compete more fairly with the top opponents in the continent. The Vietnamese team tried hard, but through today's match, we saw the gap in level between the Vietnamese team and Iraq. People think that I alone can solve the problems, but I think other coaches do better. All sides need to work together," said Coach Troussier.

Van Hai