Midfielder Vo Hoang Minh Khoa: 'After the red card, I saw Ngoc Thang was very sad'

On the afternoon of April 18 local time, the Vietnam U23 team returned to the training ground to prepare for the next match against Malaysia U23 in Group D of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship. This is also a "pivotal" match in the race for tickets to the next round for coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team.

In the match against U23 Kuwait, midfielder Vo Hoang Minh Khoa was one of the players who left the most impression in the 3-1 victory of U23 Vietnam. Sharing about U23 Vietnam's opening match, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa said: "The first match is always difficult for every player.

Luckily, the whole team had a good result against U23 Kuwait. This helped the players relieve a lot of pressure. After the match, the whole team had a happy atmosphere. We discussed the situations that happened in the match to gain experience and have better preparation for the upcoming match."

Starting the journey at the 2024 AFC U23 Championship finals with 3 important points, the Vietnam U23 team still has mistakes that need to be corrected, including the unfortunate red card of defender Ngoc Thang. When asked about this, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa said:

“After the penalty card, I saw Ngoc Thang was very sad. The whole team sympathized with Thang and encouraged him to continue to practice hard, maintain good physical condition and spirit to prepare for the next stage. This is also what the whole team always encourages each other to do better every day.”

Ngoc Thang's red card came from the referee's decision after the support of VAR technology. This is regrettable because before entering the tournament, head coach Hoang Anh Tuan and the coaching staff had carefully reminded and thoroughly informed the players about the implementation of VAR in all matches of the 2024 AFC U23 Championship Finals.

“Before the tournament, coach Hoang Anh Tuan and the coaching staff gave many instructions about the VAR issue. However, sometimes during the match, the players cannot avoid being caught up in situations that happen very quickly. From the mistakes, the whole team is aware that they need to develop themselves better, considering it a lesson,” said Vo Hoang Minh Khoa.

Regarding the goal for the next match with U23 Malaysia, Vo Hoang Minh Khoa said that the whole team is very focused and has a very high determination. “The team has overcome initial difficulties. We will try to maintain the positive things and strive to bring out the best in us, aiming for the best results in the next match,” Vo Hoang Minh Khoa emphasized.

Today (April 19), the coaching staff will hold a meeting to review the match against U23 Kuwait and plan for the match against U23 Malaysia. A victory will help coach Hoang Anh Tuan and his team open the door to the quarterfinals./.