On the afternoon of February 4, at the press conference before the last match of Group B of the Southeast Asian Club Championship 2025-2026, head coach Mauro Jeronimo affirmed that Nam Dinh team aims to win against Johor Darul Ta'zim to close the group stage with the top spot.
The reigning V.League champions have early qualified for the semi-finals, but the coaching staff said that the whole team still maintains high concentration for the match taking place at Thien Truong Stadium on the evening of February 5.
Speaking to the media, coach Mauro Jeronimo emphasized: "In every match, our goal is always to win.
Currently, the team is going through a tight schedule, which more or less affects the recovery of the players. I don't want to talk much about unfavorable factors but only focus on tomorrow's match.
The Brazilian strategist assesses that Group B gathers many quality opponents, including Lion City Sailors - the team that reached the final of the AFC Champions League Two 2024-2025 and Bangkok United - the leading representative of Thai football.
According to Mr. Mauro, Johor Darul Ta'zim is the biggest challenge as they regularly participate in the AFC Champions League Elite and have a long unbeaten streak in the Malaysian domestic league.
Johor Darul Ta'zim is a big opponent in the region, they play in the Asian top tournament, the AFC Champions League Elite. I also know they are having a very long unbeaten streak in the Malaysian domestic league, with many quality attacking players," the head coach of Nam Dinh team shared.
In addition, the return of the trio of naturalized players including Joao Figueiredo, Hector Hevel and Jon Irazabal helped the Malaysian representative significantly increase their strength.
However, Mr. Mauro still expressed his belief in his students: "But we must also recognize that Nam Dinh is a strong team. We understand that we must respect the strength of the opponent, but above all, I place complete faith in my team.
In the upcoming match, the highlight will be the confrontation between striker Xuan Son - the player currently leading the scoring list of the tournament with 7 goals - and Johor Darul Ta'zim's experienced defense. Center-back Lucas also said that the whole team is gradually adapting well to the philosophy of the new head coach.
Speaking about long-term goals, Mr. Mauro affirmed: "When entering the semi-finals, we have the right to think about the championship. But football is not that simple, you need to clearly outline your goals step by step.
The match between Nam Dinh club and Johor Darul Ta'zim will take place at 7:30 PM on February 5th at Thien Truong Stadium.
