Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong: The Silent Traveler

(Baonghean) - "I may not become a great teacher, but I must certainly be a good teacher" - the son of veteran coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh has followed this philosophy throughout his 16 years of working in youth football training. After a period focusing on further education, the former head coach of SLNA U19 has found a new destination to nurture his passion.

Nguyen Thanh Cong is one of the few coaches from Nghe An who has just obtained his A-level coaching certificate and is aiming for the "Pro" level certificate from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Unlike other trainees, he has to cover all his tuition costs himself… However, that doesn't seem to affect this young coach's desire to further his education.

Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong participates in a training course organized by the Asian Football Confederation. Photo: Trung Kien.

Born in 1977, Nguyen Thanh Cong was a member of the SLNA football club. After retiring, he began coaching youth teams. In his very first stint as head coach, he led the SLNA U.17 team to victory in the 2008 championship at Chi Lang Stadium.

Under the guidance of coach Nguyen Thanh Cong, three generations of talented players born in 1991, 1992, and 1993, such as Nguyen Manh, Dinh Hoang, Hoang Thinh, Dinh Bao, Phi Son, Khac Ngoc, Manh Hung, etc., have shown remarkable growth, laying the foundation for their future progress.

Back when he was at SLNA, his monthly salary was only half, or even one-third, of what he earned at other football training centers. However, the way he tirelessly polished the raw talents of SLNA shows that remuneration is not a factor affecting the passion for "teaching football" of coaches like him. The fact that he even used his own money to buy training equipment, meticulously cutting and tying old inner tubes and tires so his students could get acquainted with the new training methods, is no longer unusual for this young, dedicated coach.

Coach Thanh Cong has previously worked at the T&T and most recently Viettel youth academies. However, he has recently chosen his hometown to "improve his qualifications."

Along with coaches Huu Thang, Duc Thang, and Quang Truong, coach Thanh Cong has completed 2 out of 4 sessions of the "Pro" coaching course organized for the first time in Vietnam by the Asian Football Confederation. This is the highest certification awarded by the AFC, and this certificate allows them to coach any club or national team.

To enroll in a professional coaching course (Pro License), each student would normally have to pay around 20,000-25,000 USD. However, the current course is organized and partially funded by the VFF (Vietnam Football Federation), so coaches only need to spend about 200-300 million VND to complete the four semesters of this course.

Recalling the past, many SLNA players who rose from humble beginnings surely still remember how, when they first joined the SLNA academy, Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong acted like an older brother in the family. For many, there must be a certain distance between the coach and the players. But with Coach Thanh Cong, it was different; he was close to the players not only as a teacher, but also as a friend who listened, shared, and helped. From there, he helped the players develop comprehensively in both their professional skills and their lifestyles.

Speaking about his profession, Coach Cong believes: "Training young football players means building the future of football, so I always put the athletes' 'heart' first. I think titles and medals are just rewards; the future of young players is their career. Therefore, I always maintain my philosophy: it's not necessary to be a great coach, but it's absolutely essential to be a good coach."

Those interested in Nghe An's youth football admire Coach Thanh Cong's dedication. He even jokingly shared that he was willing to work for free for SLNA, his hometown team and the place where his true passion resided. Then, after leaving his coaching position at Viettel, for some unspoken reasons, he temporarily set aside his dream of "returning home" to take on the role of U17 coach at SHB Da Nang.

With years of experience in youth development and having created opportunities for himself to learn and access modern football knowledge, he has reason to want to work in an ideal environment where people can maximize their abilities and passions.

Soon, the team he is coaching will face his hometown team in the U17 National Championship qualifiers. For anyone who grew up at SLNA, this is something nobody wants. But Coach Nguyen Thanh Cong, in his new role, will certainly do his best to fulfill his responsibilities as a coach.

Fans in Nghe An believe that, no matter which club Coach Thanh Cong joins, he will always consider it an experience. He has never given up on the idea that SLNA will be his final destination. His dream of dedicating all his knowledge and passion to youth football in Nghe An has always been his ultimate goal, especially since the love for his hometown and the spirit of Nghe An are deeply ingrained in his blood.

Trung Kien