Nepal is not a high-dose trial drug
On the FIFA rankings, the Nepal team is temporarily ranked 176th - 9 places higher than the Laos team. Over the years, Ne team football has not had many specific achievements. At this time, they are starting to think about major changes in the squad when a series of young players born in 2002 and later are trusted and given the opportunity.
In general, the loss to Laos in June raised many problems for Nepal. They are not a team capable enough to create challenges against the Vietnamese team. Coach Matt Ross is still trying to deal with the cards he has. Most of the Nepalese players are playing domestically, some are playing abroad, mainly in Bangladesh and Cambodia.
Rohit Chand is perhaps the most famous player. At one point, this midfielder was valued at 375,000 Euros (equivalent to 11.5 billion VND) and played in the Indonesian championship. Ananta Tamang - a midfielder born in 1998 is a former player of Marbella United, a small club in Spain.
They also own a few other names with a valuation of about 5 billion VND such as Arik Bista - a player playing in Bangladesh but having experience playing in India. In addition, Laken Limbu is playing for Kirivong in Cambodia. He was born in Singapore before choosing to contribute to the Nepal national team.
Nepal does not compete internationally too much, but the data about them is enough for coach Kim Sang-sik to research and find a specific solution. Above all, the Vietnamese team understands that at a time when Malaysia is facing many difficulties and mental pressure, the opportunity to overcome this opponent is opening up in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Opportunities for young people?
For many different reasons, coach Kim Sang-sik has proposed a team of many young players, some of whom have never been called up to the national team, while others have "eaten the national team's rice" many times but have not played in official matches.
Of course, the Korean coach is not a "dreamkeeper". It is not like Mr. Kim called a young player to the national team and randomly brought him onto the field regardless of the actual circumstances. Coach Kim Sang-sik will certainly calculate many different personnel options, but the experiment will only appear if the results are favorable for the Vietnam team.
Above all, the Vietnam team is currently in great need of a big win against Nepal to build trust in fans, dominating Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Many people still dream of a surprise from Laos in the context of Malaysia facing many challenges on and off the field.
The current list of Vietnam National Team has 8 players of all ages participating in the SEA Games, including goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien; defenders Nguyen Hieu Minh, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Nguyen Phi Hoang; midfielders Nguyen Xuan Bac, Khuat Van Khang; strikers Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Thanh Nhan.
Among them, the opportunity to debut for the national team could come to Tran Trung Kien - the goalkeeper with the highest form currently in the Vietnam National Team. Trung Kien's performance against Hanoi FC, Thanh Hoa or Song Lam Nghe An was enough to convince the most demanding people. He is an important core in the future of the team.
In addition, Van Khang, Dinh Bac, and even Thanh Nhan have played for the Vietnam National Team. They are still available in tactical systems.
Fans are waiting for a surprise from young defenders such as Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Nhat Minh or Nguyen Hieu Minh. For Phi Hoang, as long as the Vietnam team needs a cross from the left wing, he is ready to seek opportunities even though his competitor is Cao Pendant Quang Vinh.
Coach Kim Sang-sik wants to build a force for the U23 Vietnam team but also needs to ensure achievements for the Vietnam National Team. Using young players in the most reasonable way is the key to opening up a treasure trove for Mr. Kim.
The match between Vietnam and Nepal will take place at 7:30 p.m. on October 9 at Go Dau Stadium (HCMC).
