Will SLNA give up on the AFC Cup 2018?

SLNA's coaching staff must carefully plan to be ready for three competitions: V.League, National Cup, and AFC Cup. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Whenever Vietnamese fans and the public think about competing in the AFC Champions League or AFC Cup, they often mention that teams will eventually give up due to a lack of funds. The Nghe An team has experienced this in the past and accepted the penalty. However, with the more professional and open organization of the tournaments, financial issues for clubs like SLNA participating in continental competitions are no longer the main concern.

Firstly, regarding participation fees, FLC Thanh Hoa and SLNA received 50% support from the Vietnam Football Federation. When organizing a match at home, the home team receives a portion of the profits from ticket sales and $20,000 in organizational costs. For each away match, in addition to having their accommodation and living expenses fully covered by the home team, the clubs also receive $20,000 in support, and each win is rewarded according to the regulations.

This means that, if teams go "all in," the amount of money they earn is not significantly different from the expenses they incur, a way to encourage clubs to invest in the AFC Cup and increase the tournament's attractiveness.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang consistently affirmed: “Financial resources to participate in the AFC Cup are not a problem for SLNA. The issue that worries me is that our squad isn't strong enough to go deep in this tournament. However, we always want to give our best in every match and every tournament within our capabilities, and offer the best to the fans. We also want to affirm that SLNA represents not only Nghe An football but also the pride of Vietnamese football.”

SLNA is facing difficulties in terms of squad availability. Photo: SLNA FC

In the 2018 AFC Cup campaign, SLNA holds a significant advantage in the knockout round with 7 points after 2 wins and 1 draw, 3 points ahead of their three closest rivals, Johor Darul Ta'zim and Persija Jakarta. However, with the 2018 V.League season fast approaching, coach Nguyen Duc Thang must make strategic decisions, as the V.League is the most important goal for the Nghe An team.

In the second leg, after their away match against Persija, SLNA has one more game to play against Tampines Rovers at home and Johor DT away. If they draw in the match on March 14th, win 3 points against Tampines Rovers at home, and even if they lose to Johor DT, SLNA will still have 11 points and a good chance of becoming the best-performing second-placed team to advance to the knockout round.

Given that SLNA is becoming a "mini-hospital" due to numerous injuries, Coach Nguyen Duc Thang's calculations are entirely reasonable. He wants to avoid losing everything; the AFC Cup is beyond his means, and the V.League is in disarray – at that point, SLNA's goal of maintaining the passion at the "Thanh Vinh cauldron" will once again be left unfulfilled. Therefore, it's not a matter of giving up or playing, but rather "making do with what you have."

SLNA rested key players in the second leg of the AFC Cup.

(Baonghean.vn) - This morning (March 12), Song Lam Nghe An Club flew to Indonesia to prepare for the return match against Persija Jakarta on March 14. Many key players were rested for the away trip.