Coach Troussier: 'Many Vietnamese fans don't trust me'

On the evening of March 21, the Vietnamese team will have a difficult away match against the host team Indonesia in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. This is an important match for coach Philippe Troussier and his team, because if they do not have a good result against the host team, the Vietnamese team's chances of advancing to the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup will not be much left.

At noon on March 20, sharing in the press conference before the match, coach Philippe Troussier said: "This match is important for the Vietnamese team's chances of advancing. Both teams have 4 challenging matches ahead. We are temporarily 2 points ahead of Indonesia but only have 2 home matches left, while Indonesia has 3 matches."

To get the best results, the Vietnamese team must overcome the pressure from 80,000 spectators at Bung Karno Stadium. Coach Troussier believes that the whole team will be able to do this.

"The Bung Karno Stadium will be full, but we are ready for the match both physically and in terms of approach. Everything is ready," said Mr. Troussier.

After the unsuccessful Asian Cup 2023, the Vietnamese team is under a lot of pressure. However, coach Troussier affirmed that everything is getting better and the players are determined to score against Indonesia in tomorrow's match.

"I have worked with Vietnamese players for a full year, and this is the time for them to absorb my philosophy. Although the results at the 2023 Asian Cup were not as expected, the Vietnamese team still has positive points, even against Indonesia. We can absolutely score against Indonesia. The whole team is very confident," the French strategist affirmed.

“80% of Vietnamese people are waiting for the result tomorrow so that the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) can fire me. Many people are looking forward to the day I am replaced. Many people here are the same. They say my way of working with the Vietnam national team is not suitable. Some even say I am destroying Vietnamese football," he said.

"The public can be affected by that information. That is the situation that every coach in the world has to endure. Maybe many people do not believe me, through the opinions in the newspapers and social networks. But I always try to maintain focus on the job. Behind me are the players who always try to complete the task. We are ready to face the challenge on the Indonesian field," the French coach affirmed.

Also attending the press conference was midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc. The 2023 Vietnam Golden Ball expressed his determination to win with his teammates as a gift for coach Troussier: "Tomorrow is coach Troussier's birthday, we will play well and beat Indonesia as a gift for him. The Vietnamese team played well against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup, a tournament that I did not participate in due to injury. When I returned, I tried to integrate myself into the team. We are very eager to show a new face and aim for a victory against Indonesia as a gift for the fans"./.