>>> Defender Thanh Chung: Coach Park testing new positions in Vietnam U23 squad
The squad had a meeting with Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien in Ho Chi Minh City on Monday afternoon (Dec 31, 2019), before the team’s departure for Thailand on New Year’s Day.
Speaking at the meeting, Quang Hai confidently promised: "Vietnam U23s will try to play our best, bringing the Vietnamese spirit and will to the 2020 AFC U23 Championships to achieve our set goal and to make Vietnamese football fans happy."
 |
On behalf of his team, captain Quang Hai expresses his determination to play well at the upcoming Thailand-based tournament.
After finishing second at the 2018 tournament in China, Vietnam have set the goal of making the last three in this year’s continental championship to book a place in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Coach Park Hang-seo’s side are in Group D with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
At the event, Minister Thien spent time sharing his thoughts and conveying his remarks on a successful year of Vietnamese sports in general and football in particular. In terms of expertise, he highly praised the success of both the men's and women's football teams, as both Vietnam U22s and the national female team won gold medals in the recent Southeast Asian Games.
“I regularly watch Vietnam U23s’ matches and can see that the players have grown up. This is a high quality generation of players for their expertise, ethics, behavioural culture and willpower,” Thien affirmed.
 |
Minister Nguyen Ngoc Thien (L) presents New Year gifts to coach Park Hang-seo and all members of Vietnam U23s.
The minister also highly appreciated the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the coaching staff in preparing for the team before the tournament, urging the VFF to create the best conditions for them during the competition in Thailand. “I hope that we continue to promote the Vietnamese colour, spirit and will at the competition. Wishing you all good health, playing with the highest determination and getting the best results," he emphasised.
On behalf of the team, head coach Park Hang-seo also responded with his determination: “I am aware that the 2020 AFC U23 Championship holds great significance as it will provide tickets to Tokyo 2020. Fans are looking forward to us achieving our best results. I always spend great effort in trying to not let Vietnamese fans be disappointed. We are determined to get the best results for Vietnamese football,” Park spoke.
Earlier in the day, the squad had their morning training session at Thong Nhat Stadium. They have their last training camp on the field this morning (January 1), before leaving for Thailand in the afternoon.
Park and his players will have 10 days to prepare and get acquainted with the weather in Thailand. They will play a friendly with Bahrain U23s on January 3, before encountering the UAE in their Group D opener on January 10.
