Fans frustrated as Vietnam lost to Indonesia in World Cup qualifiers

Vietnam fans are saddened after the national men's football team suffered another defeat against Indonesia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Thursday.

When watching football , Thursday night's 1-0 loss in Jakarta marked Vietnam's second defeat to its Southeast Asian neighbors in just two months. The Golden Stars were knocked out of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar by Indonesia in January after the group stage match also ended 0-1.

"To be honest, watching the team play like this makes me lose interest in supporting the Vietnamese team."

"Although we have lost to regional opponents in the past, our players always have courage, determination and fighting spirit, which makes us proud even when we lose."

"But now, where is that eagerness to score, that momentum going forward?"

"Although I am not tactically or technically savvy, it is clear that when a coach fails to inspire his team, the fans inevitably lose interest."

"It's frustrating to see the current state of the team."

Another fan wrote: "The loss was probably anticipated by many fans, although few expressed concern because of their love for the team and national pride."

"However, given the head coach's approach to personnel preparation, handling injury crises and dealing with communication issues, failure seems inevitable. Although it is very frustrating, we accept the reality and look to the VFF for change."

"Otherwise, Vietnamese football is in danger of regression under Troussier."

"Mr. Troussier should resign properly. The upcoming match may have positive changes without him as a coach," a third fan commented.

There were no crowds of fans buying tickets for the Vietnam-Indonesia rematch football live match, a scene that usually takes place when tickets are sold live at the VFF headquarters in Hanoi on Friday mornings.

"We are determined to secure a positive result as a gift to head coach Philippe Troussier as match day falls on his birthday," midfielder Nguyen Hoang Duc said in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

However, Germany and the team as a whole failed to achieve that goal on Thursday, with 95 minutes of play at Gelora Karno Stadium being a complete disappointment, given that neither the Vietnamese players nor the French coach were particularly lucky.

Back-to-back defensive errors cost Vietnam a goal from a free throw in the 52nd minute, while the team's attack failed to make a single shot on target, showing a lackluster performance.

The loss pushed Vietnam down to 3rd place in Group F with 3 points, 4 points behind Indonesia. This defeat narrowed the chances of advancing to round 3. Iraq are leading the group with nine points from three games, while the Philippines are bottom of the group with one point after losing 1-0 to the group leaders on Friday morning.

Việt Nam must win the upcoming rematch at My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on March 26 to keep their hopes alive.

Within a year of Troussier taking the position in February 2023, Vietnam dropped out of the top 100 on the FIFA Men's World Rankings and lost its top spot in Southeast Asia, much to the disappointment of fans.

Troussier admitted before the game that many supporters wanted him fired. Although he did not go to the stands to speak and express gratitude like the players, he expressed in the post-match press conference that he expects to receive strong support in My Dinh next week for the comeback.

The Asian zone of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers consists of 46 teams competing in 5 rounds for 8 places in the knockout stages and one spot in the inter-confederation play-offs from October 2023 to November 2025.

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