Coach Kim Sang Sik threw 8 naturalized players to play for Malaysia, Dinh Bac was marginalized

Vietnamese football is at the threshold of history, where the tactical calculations are no longer simply in the 4-3-3 or 5-3-2 scheme, but in an unprecedented "blood change" of personnel.

Next March, fans will not just watch a football match, but witness a completely new look of the "Golden Star Warriors" in the life-and-death rematch with Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

The wave of "foreigners" and strange pure Vietnamese names

If you haven't had time to update, gradually get acquainted with names like Do Phi Long or Do Hoang Hen. These are not new faces from the youth training center, but steel center back Gustavo and talented midfielder Hendrio after completing the naturalization procedure.

Coach Kim Sang Sik seems to be looking to build a steel "backbone". In addition to the stability of the captain of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Club. Ho Chi Minh City (who also holds a Vietnamese passport firmly in his hand), the defense of the national team promises to become more illustrious and experienced than ever. The appearance of these "old rookies" is the solution to the problem of squad depth that is causing Mr. Kim a headache.

The "Milky Way" in the attack: Waiting for the push named Geovane

If defense is a shield, then the attack is the spear that coach Kim Sang Sik is honing extremely sharply. Names such as Nguyen Filip, Dang Van Lam or Jason Quang Vinh have long been "family members", now they will combine with the "scoring machine" Nguyen Xuan Son – the No. 1 hope in penetrating the opponent's net.

But the focus of attention is on Geovane. This striker is in a sprint race against time to complete the legal procedures. If Geovane is able to participate, the Vietnamese team will possess a very strong "firepower", capable of causing mutations in any moment. This is the "trump card" that the Korean strategist is aspiring to realize his ambition to go upstream.

"Mission Impossible" scenario in Malaysia

The current group situation is like a breathtaking action movie where the Vietnamese team is in a weak position. The 0-4 defeat in the first leg was not only a bucket of cold water, but also pushed us into a corner: 3 points behind the opponent and far behind in sub-stats.

On March 31, the match against Malaysia is not just a football match, it is the final match of a whole campaign. To decide their own fate, coach Kim Sang Sik needs an unthinkable scenario: A victory with a difference of 4 goals or more.

"Shock" of Dinh Bac

Although he and U.23 Vietnam created an earthquake when defeating South Korea to win the third place in Asia, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac suddenly became a "redundant" in the national team's gathering for the final match against Malaysia on March 31. The reason behind this unfortunate absence does not lie in expertise but comes from a 2-match suspension, the consequence of the "lack of restraint" on the ball under the shoe in the third-place match.

Although coach Kim Sang-sik defended that this was just an accidental error, the strict sentence from the referee still made the star born in 2004 shy as a spectator, while other elite teammates at the U.23 age group still went straight forward to recruit.

Dinh Bac suddenly suffered an injury, was shocked by coach Mano Polking, fans cried and screamed An Lâm14:03:17 05/02/2026The 6-1 destructive victory over Tampines Rovers of Hanoi Police Club (CAHN) in Group A of the Shopee Cup could not be complete. The joy from the ticket to go on was overshadowed by the news about the precious jewel Nguyen Dinh Bac just before the ball rolled.