Midfielder Quang Hai says 'I'm getting thinner but determined to grow up'

This afternoon, December 14, Nguyen Quang Hai and Coach Kim Sang-sik attended a press conference before the match between Vietnam and Indonesia at the team's hotel in Phu Tho. He said that the whole team has prepared carefully to aim for the best results tomorrow.

After joining the national team at the end of November, Quang Hai was assessed to have trained with great determination and seriousness, with the manifestation of a slimmer body. When asked about this, Quang Hai said: "I have lost weight but some other things have grown. The whole team and I have greater determination and higher concentration towards the tournament."

In the opening match, which won 4-1 against Laos, Quang Hai entered the field in the 60th minute, but it only took eight minutes to provide two assists, allowing Tien Linh and Van Toan to score. In the 82nd minute, he was the one who took the corner kick, leading to a mess that helped Nguyen Van Vi score the fourth goal.

"Only when the whole team is united and determined can we achieve the best results," said the midfielder born in 1997. In the immediate future, Quang Hai is determined to win against Indonesia despite the fact that the opponent only sent mostly U21 players to participate, while Vietnam used its strongest squad.

In 2024, the 27-year-old midfielder witnessed Vietnam lose to their opponents in the 2023 Asian Cup (0-1) and the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup (0-1, 0-3). In the two qualifying matches alone, Quang Hai was not even put on the field by Coach Philippe Troussier. Indonesia also directly eliminated Vietnam from the group stage of the Asian Cup and lost their ticket to the third qualifying round of the World Cup.

Initially, Vietnam under coach Park Hang-seo was undefeated for seven years against opponents. But under Philippe Troussier, Vietnam declined and the team of the archipelago had many quality mixed-blood players, causing the results to change.

Vietnam will meet Indonesia again at 8pm tomorrow, December 15, at Viet Tri Stadium.

Not only is Vietnam's force superior, but their physical condition is also better due to having five days of preparation. Meanwhile, Indonesia has to travel continuously and prepare for their third match in six days.