Coach Park Hang-seo thanks fans and players after historic win over China

Head coach Park Hang-seo expressed his thanks to fans for their support whilst hailing the relentless efforts of the players after his Vietnamese side trounced neighbours China 3-1 in the final round of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Asian Qualifiers on February 1.

Vietnam head coach Park Hang-seo speaks during a press briefing after the clash with China on February 1. (Photo: VFF)
Vietnam head coach Park Hang-seo speaks during a press briefing after the clash with China on February 1. (Photo: VFF)

Playing at home on the first day of the Year of the Tiger, the Golden Star Warriors gave their best, scoring twice before halftime and adding another in the second half to grab their first win against China in history, which was also the first victory for a Southeast Asian team in the final stage of the World Cup qualifying campaign.

“First of all, I would like to say that this is the first time Vietnam have competed in the final round of the World Cup Qualifiers. Before the China clash, we lost seven matches and have received some criticism. Despite having traversed a long tiring journey, I know that the players remain united,” Park told reporters during a post-match press briefing.

“Today, for the first time, a Southeast Asian team has secured a win in the final round of the World Cup Qualifiers. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Vietnamese people, the fans, and my players,” he stated.

The Korean tactician said it took Vietnam nearly 60 years to go that far in the World Cup qualifying campaign, so immediate success is impossible but rather requires an entire process. He asked football fans to judge the players through their unceasing efforts instead of just their wins.

Vietnam head coach Park Hang-seo and captain Do Hung Dung at the press briefing. (Photo: VFF)

Talking about the team’s upcoming plan, Park said: “The players will return to their clubs. By the middle of March, we will reconvene to prepare for the matches with Japan and Oman. Meanwhile, the Vietnam U23 team will work towards the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.”

For his part, captain Do Hung Dung, who was voted the Man of the Match, said all teams are very strong, but the Vietnamese side also learns from experiences and progresses after each failure.

“Actually, we all aim for points in every game. But today, playing at home, we set our sights on a victory and fortunately achieved it. The forwards fulfilled their assignments well,” he stated.

Shortly after the final whistle of the match, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc conveyed his words of praise to coach Park Hang-seo, the coaching staff and the players, highly appreciating their efforts and solidarity to achieve the historic win for Vietnamese football.

The State leader emphasised that claiming the victory on the first day of the nation’s traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) brought joy and encouragement to fans nationwide, along with bright hopes for Vietnamese football in the Year of the Tiger.

President Phuc took the occasion to extend his best New Year greetings to the men’s national football team while encouraging the team members to continue doing their best and to always compete with the Vietnamese enthusiasm and spirit to step by step conquer new heights, thus affirming the position of Vietnamese football in the region and in Asia.

Vietnam thrash China 3-1 for first win in final round of World Cup Qualifiers