Nepal's Head Coach Comments on Vietnam National Team's Strength After 0-1 Defeat

Nepal's assistant coach, Mr. Salyan Khadgi, provided his insights regarding the game against Vietnam.

On the evening of October 14th, at Thong Nhat Stadium, Vietnam secured a 1-0 victory over Nepal in Group F of the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. Although the score was minimal, this result allowed Coach Kim Sang-sik's team to maintain second place, trailing the group leader Malaysia by 3 points.

After the match, Nepal’s assistant coach Mr. Salyan Khadgi assessed the strength of the Vietnam national team.

“Today, I stepped in as the head coach for this match. The entire team performed well and followed the tactics set by the coaching staff. Vietnam is a strong team, but we also played very resiliently in the second half. What pleased me was the team's courageous spirit, with players always eager to push forward.”

Mr. Khadgi also admitted that Nepal would have played more offensively against Vietnam if they had the home advantage: “We had a clear strategy for this match, which was to defend solidly. In the second half, we created several clear and strong attacking chances. If we had played at home, our goal would have been to attack, not just defend like today.”

The match was largely dominated by Vietnam. The Golden Star warriors controlled possession well, organized diverse attacks, and quickly generated many clear opportunities. However, Nepal’s dense defense and determined spirit made it difficult for Vietnam to break through.

The turning point came in the first half when Hieu Minh headed the ball, which deflected off an opponent before going into the net, giving Vietnam a 1-0 lead. That single goal was enough for Vietnam to secure all 3 points, even though for most of the remaining time, their attack lacked the necessary sharpness.

After this round, Vietnam temporarily ranks second in Group F, 3 points behind Malaysia. In November, Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team will face Laos again before a decisive match against Malaysia in March 2026. Meanwhile, Nepal remains at the bottom of the group with no points after four matches.