Vietnam’s head coach Park Hang-seo has praised his Vietnamese football players for their exploits at the ongoing 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, saying Vietnam’s run to the quarterfinals was a great result.

Vietnam’s head coach Park Hang-seo

He expressed his regret because the tournament took place immediately after the ASEAN Federation Football (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2018, so the coaching team did not have enough time to make the best preparations for the tournament.

He said that the team played so well and that despite losing to Japan 1-0 in the quarterfinals on January 24, the players showed their ability. 

"I am really proud of my players", he said. 

Talking about the future of the Vietnamese team, coach Park said "I think they have a bright future”.

Japan are fully capable of winning the cup, Park said, adding that if Vietnam wants to reach the level of Japan, it will take a lot of time and step-by-step development. 

Vietnam is not comparable with teams like Iran, Japan and Iraq but facing theses sides will have helped the Vietnamese players become more professional, he noted. 

Park affirmed he will now put his focus on the team’s next important campaigns, namely the 2020 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers and the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification process.

After the victory against the Vietnamese team in the quarterfinals of ASEAN Cup 2019, many Japanese fans expressed praised the Vietnamese players on social media for their efforts. 

In a press conference after the match, Japanese coach Hajime Moriyasu highly appreciated the competitive spirit of the Vietnamese team.-VNA