A few days ago, FIFA fined the Football Federation of Malaysia and banned 7 naturalized players of the national team from playing for 12 months for not being eligible to compete.
International and domestic media mentioned that the Malaysian team will be defeated 0-3 by Vietnam in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. However, there is still time for Malaysia to appeal. Therefore, no specific penalty has been issued and it depends entirely on the decision of the department called FIFA Football Tribunal.
In case the Malaysian team is awarded a loss, the Vietnamese team will have the opportunity to rise to the top of the group, a more favorable position in the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup. However, there is no guarantee for this and the Vietnamese team cannot wait for the opponent's mistakes.
In the current context, the most important thing is that the Vietnamese team must save themselves with results, performances and specific efforts in the two upcoming matches against Nepal.
In fact, after the defeat against Malaysia in the first leg, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team are under a lot of pressure. Of course, fans still have faith in Quang Hai and his teammates, but the players themselves need to bring more positive signals, richer in desire.
That is a must in the two matches against Nepal - an opponent that is considered inferior, but not because of that, the Vietnamese team is subjective.
The two matches will take place at Go Dau and Thong Nhat Stadium (HCMC). This is a great advantage for the Vietnamese team when they do not have to travel long distances, ensuring the physical condition and fitness of the entire team.
In this training session, the Vietnam team continues to face the problem of strength. One of the big losses was the absence of midfielder Chau Ngoc Quang - who is in stable form at Ninh Binh club. A knee ligament injury caused the midfielder born in 1996 to be out of action for at least 7-8 months, meaning he missed the remainder of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
The loss of an important link in the midfield in the context of needing stability forced coach Kim Sang-sik to recalculate personnel and tactical options.
However, in difficulties, opportunities arise. 7 players from the U23 level who have just won the U23 Southeast Asian Championship and passed the U23 Asian qualifiers have been called up, including quality names such as Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Nguyen Hieu Minh... They are representatives of the next generation and this is the right time to create conditions for this group of players to compete with the national team.
The combination of veterans such as Quang Hai, Tien Linh, Duy Manh... and new factors will be a necessary experiment to move towards a younger, more stable and more competitive squad for the Vietnam national team.
Coach Kim Sang-sik himself has reason to believe in this combination. Although the immediate results are important, he also needs to look beyond that the national team cannot forever rely on familiar names that have passed their peak, and must start getting used to the transfer cycle.
The Vietnamese team still has many things to improve, from the defensive system capable of organizing attacks to the competitive mentality... But to start the change process, there is nothing better than the upcoming consecutive victories against Nepal.
In football, fate cannot and should not be placed in the hands of others. If they want to continue and maintain the trust of fans, the only way for the Vietnamese team is to save themselves.
