27-3-2024 (HANOI) Vietnam’s national football team head coach, Philippe Troussier, has been relieved of his duties following the team’s 3-0 loss to Indonesia in the third round of Asia’s preliminary qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, as announced by the Vietnam Football Federation.
The French coach, who took the helm from Park Hang-seo last year, received the news of his dismissal after the defeat in Hanoi. This defeat marked Vietnam’s second loss to Indonesia in six days, leaving them in third place in qualifying Group F.
With only the top two teams from each of the nine groups advancing to the next round of Asia’s preliminary tournament, Vietnam faces an uphill battle to progress. Despite never having qualified for the World Cup, increased representation from Asia in the 2026 finals – with a guaranteed eight spots – had raised hopes of a historic qualification under Troussier’s guidance.
However, consecutive losses to Indonesia have dampened Vietnam’s chances, leaving them trailing their South East Asian rivals by four points. To keep their hopes alive, Vietnam must secure victories against the Philippines and Iraq in June and rely on Indonesia failing to collect three points from their remaining matches.
Meanwhile, Iraq solidified their position in the group, clinching one of the two qualification spots with a resounding 5-0 victory over the Philippines on Tuesday. The win propelled Jesus Casas’ side to 12 points from four games, ensuring their progression in the tournament.
