Song Lam Nghe An and the problem of Michael Olaha's absence.
The absence of Michael Olaha will significantly weaken Song Lam Nghe An, especially as the team from Nghe An will have a crucial match against Hoang Anh Gia Lai in the next round. Therefore, coach Phan Nhu Thuat needs to prepare strategies to fill this void.
This season, Michael Olaha has scored 5 goals and provided 1 assist in 22 appearances. This is a far cry from his performance last season. However, the Nigerian striker still plays a very important role in the team's style of play.Lam River, Nghe An.
Especially in recent matches, Michael Olaha's tireless work rate and attacking prowess have helped the Nghe An team compete on equal terms with strong teams like The Cong Viettel, Hanoi Club, and Thep Xanh Nam Dinh. Unfortunately, bad luck prevented Song Lam Nghe An from earning points against these title contenders. Therefore, the absence of Michael Olaha in the upcoming match will be a difficult challenge for coach Phan Nhu Thuat and his staff.
However, this is not the first time Michael Olaha has been absent from Song Lam Nghe An's lineup. In early 2025, the Nigerian striker suffered an injury and missed three matches. Surprisingly, in those three matches, Song Lam Nghe An won two and drew one against Hanoi Police at Hang Day Stadium. This shows that the coaching staff of the Nghe An team also had contingency plans in place in case one of their two foreign strikers was absent.
First, the strategy involved positioning Dinh Xuan Tien as an attacking midfielder right behind Benjamin Kuku. This was the tactic used by coach Phan Nhu Thuat in the three matches when...Michael OlahaHe was absent. The midfielder wearing the number 9 jersey possesses intelligent off-the-ball movement, creative passing, and excellent finishing ability. Therefore, Dinh Xuan Tien's presence brings fluidity to Song Lam Nghe An's attacking plays.
In addition, deploying Dinh Xuan Tien on the field also helps Song Lam Nghe An play more balanced football. Song Lam Nghe An's attacking situations will be evenly distributed across all three directions, making it difficult for opponents to anticipate the attacks of the team from Nghe An.
Furthermore, Dinh Xuan Tien possesses excellent free-kick abilities. His set-piece free kicks often have tricky trajectories, creating numerous dangerous situations for the opponent's goal. A prime example is his assist for Phan Ba Quyen's goal against Thep Xanh Nam Dinh, or his near-miss free-kick against The Cong Viettel. It can be said that Dinh Xuan Tien will be a high-quality option to replace Michael Olaha in the upcoming match.
The only drawback of this midfielder wearing the number 9 jersey is his stamina. The player born in 2003 can only play effectively for about 60 minutes. Therefore, the coaching staff of the Nghe An team needs to have backup plans to replace Dinh Xuan Tien when his fitness is not up to par.
It could be midfielder Tran Manh Quynh, who possesses good individual technique and a rather tricky dribbling ability. However, Manh Quynh's final touches lack neatness and accuracy.
It could also be striker Phan Xuan Dai, who possesses good speed and dribbling ability. This striker, born in 2003, scored the only goal that helped Song Lam Nghe An win against Hoang Anh Gia Lai at Vinh Stadium in the 2023 season.
However, this season, injuries have limited the striker from Yen Thanh's playing time. Therefore, his match fitness will be a big question mark.
It can be said that,Coach Phan Nhu ThuatThere will be a lot of work to be done to solve the problem of Michael Olaha's absence in the upcoming match. Hopefully, nearly 20 days of rest will help the coach born in 1984 find the best solutions to help Song Lam Nghe An secure a victory in the upcoming match.