In the opening match of the 2021 AFC Champions League group stage - the No. 1 playground of Asian clubs, Viettel lost 0-1 to defending champion Ulsan Hyundai (Korea) on the evening of June 26. The only goal came in the first minute of injury time, after a moment when the defense was unfocused in a set piece situation, when the opponent hung the ball high with the players all close to 1m90, so it was impossible to compete.
Que Ngoc Hai cannot play due to a minor injury, after serving the national team. He was impressed with what his teammates showed and said on the AFC homepage: "I didn't play because I wasn't fully excited and watching the match from the stands. I see my teammates have tried their best and they have followed the coach's instructions and strategies.
We know Ulsan Hyundai is a very strong team. The goal in the last minute showed that Viettel really tried their best against the defending champions and we made them work hard.
This is not the best result we can have, but it is motivation because we have made the fans proud and I myself proud of my teammates."
In addition to Que Ngoc Hai, Viettel will not have the service of Trong Hoang in the match against Ulsan Hyundai. Despite missing 2 key players who have just returned from the Vietnam national team, Viettel played resiliently against a team that was considered much stronger than them. According to Que Ngoc Hai, Viettel played well thanks to their fighting spirit - just like what the Vietnamese team showed in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
"The similarities between the club and the national team are the readiness and fighting spirit of the players. We always enter a match without caring about any other problem other than football, and focus on winning.
Viettel has a number of players from the national team, so it is normal for the same spirit and playing style. I think it's good for the club, because when we learn something from the national team, we will serve the club."
Que Ngoc Hai and Viettel will play 5 more matches in the group stage of the AFC Champions League. In addition to Ulsa Hyundai, the V.League 2020 champion will also meet Pathum United (Thailand) and Kaya FC-Iloile (Philippines). This central defender shared that he will play his best with his teammates, to make Viettel fans in particular and Vietnamese football in general proud.
