HANOI (21 January 2024) – Vietnam head coach Philippe Troussier said that he is ‘still proud of the players even though we lost the match,’ after the team’s defeat to Indonesia in a crucial tie of the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
The twice ASEAN champions had to concede to a 1-0 loss to Indonesia in a Group D tie which confirmed their exit from the AFC Asian Cup 2023.
“I feel disappointed because the result meant the team cannot continue. Indonesia have a quality squad, completely different from the SEA Games or the AFF Mitsubishi Cup. They have added many naturalised players, creating more difficulties for us than before,” said Troussier.
“The result was decided through a penalty situation, an error in the penalty area. Even though we lost the match, I’m still proud of the players.”
After conceding a 4-2 defeat to Japan in their opening game of the group and then the 1-0 loss to Indonesia, Vietnam’s final tie will be against Iraq on 24 January 2024.
“We still have the final match (against Iraq); we still have to fight for the three points. We are not allowed to give up, we must maintain the fighting spirit in all circumstances,” he added.
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Photos Courtesy #VFF
