Coach Philippe Troussier: 'We are ready for the opening match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers'

"Tomorrow's match is not only the opening of the World Cup qualifying campaign. It is also the result of 8 months of effort to perfect and build the team's strength. All preparations have been completed. The whole team has worked hard and tried to build more modern coordination pieces. Through experience on the training ground and 6 friendly matches, I believe the team is ready. We are very excited even though we know tomorrow's match will be difficult. The team wants to contribute the best," coach Troussier opened the press conference.

The French strategist also said that Vietnam is currently almost meeting his expectations when he took office in March.

Mr. Troussier was appointed as Vietnam coach in March. Over the past 8 months, he has called up 80 players to play 6 friendly matches. In June, Vietnam won 3 consecutive matches, 1-0 against Hong Kong, 1-0 against Syria and 2-0 against Palestine. In the training camp in October, the team chose stronger opponents and lost 3 consecutive matches, 0-2 against China, 0-2 against Uzbekistan and 0-6 against South Korea. These results put Mr. Troussier under a lot of pressure.

"Pressure is necessary and we and the players have gotten used to it over the past 8 months. The coaching staff tries to get the players used to the pressure on the field, as well as in daily life. Not only do we have to win, we also set goals to play the way we want and endure the pressure to perfect the squad. Since taking office, I have always been stressed in every training session, every roster finalization or every friendly match. But pressure is common in sports in general. The Philippines also goes through it. There are always winners and losers. The important thing is to make the maximum effort to achieve results," coach Troussier confided.

The match against regional rivals the Philippines is considered a test of the strength of the Vietnam team under coach Philippe Troussier.

"The coaching staff has carefully studied the Philippines' playing style and strength. We reviewed the friendly match before the 2022 AFF Cup and the group stage match of the 31st SEA Games. The common point is that the Philippines caused many difficulties, especially the friendly match in 2022 which was decided by an own goal (Vietnam won 1-0). Currently, both teams have new coaches and many changes in the squad. In addition, tomorrow is the official match. Tournaments like the World Cup qualifiers always have many surprises. Weaker teams often enter the match with the spirit of having nothing to lose. Therefore, this encounter cannot be predicted based on past results," said coach Troussier.

According to coach Troussier, playing on artificial turf can be a factor affecting the outcome of the match. Over the past few days, the coaching staff has been evaluating the players' ball handling ability on the Rizal Memorial field and looking for ways to make adjustments.

Coach Troussier believes that his time working with Vietnamese youth football gives him an advantage when taking charge of the national team. He said: "I know quite well about the potential and level of Vietnamese players. Many people are surprised when I call up players playing in the First or Second Division, but I know their potential is better than the players in the V-League. I think that a coach who knows nothing about Vietnamese football will find it difficult to take on this position."

Coach Troussier also explained that the call-up of 80 players from March until now is for screening purposes. Up to now, the team has 30% to 50% young players. But this does not mean that those who participated in the March training session are not qualified. "Many players cannot participate due to injury or poor performance at the Club. To prepare for future training sessions, we need about 50 players ready. In addition to the 2026 World Cup, we are also aiming for the Asian Cup, U23 Asia, and SEA Games. To compete in so many tournaments, the team needs a large force," he concluded.

The opening match of the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, between the Philippines and Vietnam, will take place at 7:00 p.m. tomorrow (November 16), at Rizal Memorial Stadium.