The absence of Do Duy Manh due to injury forced the coaching staff of the Vietnamese national team to make adjustments in the staff in the training camp to prepare for the ASEAN Cup 2026.
Accordingly, Nguyen Quang Hai was awarded the captain's armband, while Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Xuan Son took on the role of vice-captains.
Quang Hai's selection is not a surprising decision. The midfielder born in 1997 has just had a successful season with the Hanoi Police team, making a great contribution to helping the team win the V.League 2025-2026 championship and being honored as the Player of the Season.
Besides his professional contributions, Quang Hai is also highly appreciated for his team connectivity, sense of responsibility and international competition experience.
This is also not the first time Quang Hai has taken on the role of leader. He used to wear the captain's armband at the U20 and U23 Vietnam levels before being given the responsibility of leading the national team in this gathering.
Besides Quang Hai, Nguyen Hoang Duc continues to be present in the leadership board as vice-captain. The midfielder of Ninh Binh is considered one of the important factors in both expertise and experience, after many years of continuously playing a core role in the national team.
Notably, Nguyen Xuan Son was assigned the task of vice-captain for the first time. This decision shows the coaching staff's recognition of the integration process of the striker born in 1997, and also reflects the direction of building a cohesive team between veteran players, naturalized players and Vietnamese-origin faces.
