Foreign player in V-League officially loses chance to compete in the 2026 World Cup

David Henen, forward for SHB Đà Nẵng, is no longer hopeful of playing in the 2026 World Cup following Togo’s loss to Congo.

The World Cup dream of SHB Đà Nẵng’s foreign player David Henen has officially ended after Togo suffered a narrow defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The match held on the evening of October 10 in Group B featured a tense battle between Togo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Star player Cedric Bakambu, who currently plays for Real Betis in La Liga, became Congo’s hero by scoring the only goal of the game, securing a 1-0 victory for his team.

This result almost ended Togo’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. Meanwhile, with 16 points, the Democratic Republic of Congo is in a strong position to advance further and dream of participating in next year’s World Cup.

For David Henen, this defeat means he will miss the first World Cup featuring 48 teams. Nevertheless, the 1996-born player continues to impress strongly in the 2025/26 V-League season with SHB Đà Nẵng.

Since joining the Han River club, Henen has quickly become a key attacking force thanks to his speed, technical dribbling skills, and versatile finishing. He is currently the team’s top scorer with 3 goals, playing a major role in Đà Nẵng’s positive start to the new season.

On the international stage, David Henen remains an important member of the Togo national team. During the September call-up, he appeared in both matches against Mauritania and Sudan in the World Cup qualifiers. To date, Henen has earned 20 caps for the national team and scored 1 goal. His regular call-ups indicate the Togo head coach values his experience and consistent performance while playing in Vietnam.

Before moving to Asia, Henen was considered a promising talent in Everton’s youth academy (England). Although he couldn’t break into the Premier League first team, he gained valuable experience playing in Europe, having represented clubs like Charleroi, Grenoble, and Monaco B.

With a solid technical foundation and the ability to play multiple attacking positions—from winger, attacking midfielder to striker—Henen is regarded as one of the highest quality foreign players currently in the V-League. Despite his World Cup journey ending, the 29-year-old striker remains eager to prove himself in Vietnam, where he has become SHB Đà Nẵng’s biggest hope up front.