Coach Philippe Troussier expects a quality match against Iraq
Coach Philippe Troussier expects the Vietnamese players to play well and have a quality match with Iraq.
On January 23, at the press conference before the match with Iraq, Vietnam team coach Philippe Troussier emphasized that he expected the Vietnamese players to play well and have a quality match with Iraq.
Regarding the opponent Iraq, Mr. Troussier assessed that this Southwest Asian national team won the Asian Cup in 2007 and has many players playing in Europe in the current squad. According to him, Iraq is in the Top 6 leading teams in Asia at the moment and this team has a great chance to participate in the 2026 World Cup.
"I think Vietnamese players are quite gentle and a bit lacking in competitiveness, that's why I work hard every day to create a new path and I see the players responding to me," said Mr. Troussier.
Coach Troussier hopes that the Vietnamese team will create the most comfortable atmosphere and to achieve that, he affirmed that he will try to bring good results and win against Iraq. Although Iraq has passed the group stage, he still wants the players to leave a good image, proving that the Vietnamese team is improving.
Regarding the recent loss to Indonesia, Coach Troussier affirmed that he will accept all criticism directed at him personally, but as long as he is trusted, he will continue to fight with his students.
The French coach expressed his belief that in the last two matches, despite losing to Japan and Indonesia, the whole team showed the spirit of daring to play football. In particular, in the second half of the match against Indonesia, the whole team showed the spirit of not giving up.
He shared: "I completely understand the feelings of the media and fans. When I took the job, VFF raised the issue of how to get better results in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against the top teams in the continent. To do that, we need many new things. We need a new spirit and approach to the match. Overall, I am satisfied with the players' efforts. Everyone outside has their own perspective. I accept criticism directed at me, but many of my players have tried more than 200%, I cannot accept criticism of the players."
Explaining why he did not use Hung Dung in the loss to Indonesia, Mr. Troussier said: "My personnel selection is based on analysis and real situations. The assistant gives the data but I am always the one who is ultimately responsible for the lineup. In the match against Indonesia, for 10 minutes they pushed the lineup high, with great pressure."
However, he emphasized that in the second half, the team played well and deserved to score, but due to a shortage of players in the final minutes, this became more difficult. He hoped that the Vietnamese players would maintain that fighting spirit when facing Iraq.
Meanwhile, center back Bui Hoang Viet Anh shared: "My team and I hope that the fans will continue to stand side by side with the Vietnamese team. We will try our best and hope to return home with a positive result."
Viet Anh emphasized that the Vietnamese team was eliminated, but every time they wear the national jersey, it is an honor and responsibility, and the whole team will try their best in every match.
Evaluating the Vietnamese team, Mr. Jesus Casas, coach of the Iraqi team, said: "Although Vietnam lost 2 matches, I watched Vietnam play against Japan, they played well, at times leading. They coordinated well, creating opportunities. I think tomorrow's match will be difficult. The Vietnamese team will be a very difficult opponent."
He shared all the important players equally. In the two matches against Indonesia and Japan, the coaching staff changed 5 players, he can do the same in the next match.