Doan Van Hau's return journey is reviewed by ASEAN United FC in an article published on August 15. After a long period of treatment for an Achilles heel injury, the defender of Hanoi Police once had surgery and faced the risk of career interruption.
For Van Hau, the biggest motivation to help him overcome the difficult period is his love for football.
The biggest motivation for me to return after a long injury is to always look forward and try my best to continue pursuing my passion for football," Van Hau shared.
The 27-year-old defender said that times when he cannot play due to injury are not easy times. However, the encouragement from his family and fans helps him maintain his determination, gradually returning to the football field.
Van Hau's efforts were rewarded when he had his first match after a long break in the Hanoi Police shirt at the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup, against Buriram United. More than three months later, he continued to return to the Vietnamese national team and played 45 minutes in a friendly match with Bangladesh.
This is also the first time Van Hau has worn the national team jersey since June 2023.
The first thing for me is simply the desire to return to playing football. Even when I only had to train again, I felt very happy. After that, I could return and contribute to Hanoi Police, and even luckier, continue to contribute to the Vietnamese national team. I hope to be able to play football as long as possible," Van Hau said.
From the 2018 championship to the journey back
Van Hau soon made his mark in the Vietnamese national team jersey. In 2018, when he was only 19 years old, he and the national team won the ASEAN Cup. At the club level, this defender and Hanoi FC won two consecutive V.League championships in 2018 and 2019, before continuing to win the championship in 2022.
After moving to play for Hanoi Police, Van Hau and this team won the V.League championship in 2023 and 2026.
Now, the defender born in 1999 aims to continue to conquer the regional title with the Vietnamese national team. After toping Group A, coach Kim Sang-sik's team will face Malaysia in two semi-final matches.
Looking back at the group stage, Van Hau assessed that the Vietnamese team had positive performances, although there was still a match that left regrets. Among them, the 0-0 draw with Singapore made the whole team unhappy when creating many opportunities but failing to score.
However, Vietnam quickly returned with a 3-0 victory over Indonesia right on the away field.
“We really wanted to win against Singapore, but unfortunately everything did not go as desired. After that match, the whole team returned to the spirit of victory against Indonesia. I think that was a turning point of the group stage,” Van Hau shared.
According to the defender of the Vietnamese national team, playing away always brings great challenges. Therefore, the whole team has the highest respect for Indonesia and entered the match with the determination to win. The 3-0 result is a worthy reward for the performance of coach Kim Sang-sik's team.
Playing football is already great
In front of Van Hau and his teammates are two semi-final matches with Malaysia. The first leg takes place in Kuala Lumpur on August 16, before the two teams rematch at My Dinh Stadium on August 19.
After what he has experienced in more than two years, Van Hau believes that he has a different view of football and the values behind each match. For him, returning to the field, playing for the club and the national team has been a great joy.
For me, simply being able to step onto the field and compete is already a great thing. Playing a final is also a great experience," Van Hau said.
The defender of the Vietnamese national team also emphasized the role of fans in the team's journey.
Whether winning or losing, I hope the people will always be by my side and support the team. That helps the players have the mentality to go to the field and fight with everything they have, regardless of the result," he shared.
According to Van Hau, every player wants to win, but football does not always happen as desired.
Of course, every player wants to win, but football does not always happen like that. Sometimes you will fail. The important thing is to dedicate yourself to the national team and the colors of the flag," Van Hau affirmed.
After a long wait to return, Doan Van Hau is facing the opportunity to continue contributing to the Vietnamese team in the ASEAN Cup 2026 semi-finals. Against Malaysia, the goal of this defender and his teammates is to achieve favorable results in the first leg, thereby creating an advantage for the second leg at home.
