Coach Troussier and the goal of reaching the second round of World Cup 2026 qualifiers.

Coach Troussier will return to Vietnam after the Lunar New Year holiday in his homeland. The French strategist will have about two weeks to relax with his family and is expected to return to Vietnam on February 23rd.

Before parting ways with the Vietnamese national team after the 2023 Asian Cup, coach Troussier urged his players to reflect on their performance in order to aim for victory or find ways to win in upcoming matches.

As we enter the Year of the Dragon 2024, although not explicitly stated, everyone understands that the pressure on coach Troussier and Vietnamese football is immense as they face a series of challenges and important tournaments such as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the U23 Asian Championship finals, and the AFF Cup.

In the aforementioned tournaments, coach Troussier and Vietnamese football must succeed; this is essential given the immense patience shown by the Vietnam Football Federation and fans towards the French strategist over the past year.

The specific goals for coach Troussier are to help the Vietnamese national team advance through the second round of World Cup qualifiers, reach the AFF Cup final, and qualify for the knockout stage alongside the U23 Vietnamese team.

"My wish is that when you return, you will reflect on and evaluate what we have done. I believe that, although the Vietnamese team lost, they learned a lot. We never stop, but continue to improve and carry out the next task, which is the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers."Coach Troussier emphasized.

Round 9 of the V-League 2023/24 is also a crucial period for Coach Troussier to finalize his squad, as the Vietnamese national team will only have about a month left to reconvene for two key matches against Indonesia in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Many key players are expected to return to the Vietnamese national team's training camp in the upcoming period. Important players such as Que Ngoc Hai, Bui Tien Dung, Van Hau, Hoang Duc, Tien Linh, etc., have all recovered from injuries and are ready to join the team once called up by coach Troussier.

Besides checking the form of the aforementioned key players, coach Troussier and his assistants paid special attention to the performance of the young players. It is almost certain that the French strategist will continue his plan to rejuvenate the Vietnamese national team, and players like Phan Tuan Tai, Khuat Van Khang, Minh Trong, Dinh Bac... will form the core of the national team in the near future.

In 2024, coach Troussier needs to improve the short-term performance of the Vietnamese national team to reduce pressure and have a chance to achieve long-term goals. It will be very difficult for him to keep his job if the Vietnamese team continues to fail to achieve results. After a period of learning from experience, 2024 will be a crucial time for Troussier to pursue his major objectives.

Coach Troussier and his team are expected to gather in Hanoi on March 10th, giving them nearly two weeks to prepare for two crucial matches against Indonesia (first leg, away, March 23rd) and the second leg at My Dinh Stadium on March 26th, in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.