Philippe Troussier’s legacy continues to benefit Vietnam

The three, instrumental in Vietnam’s run at the event in Thailand, had been trusted by Troussier at a very early stage, getting opportunities to play for youth national teams and even the senior national team.

During his time with Vietnamese football from 2018 to 2024 as a strategic advisor and technical director at the PVF academy, coach of the U19 and U23 teams and the national team between 2023 and 2024, Troussier regularly scouted for young talent across the country.

At times he would even turn up for third division matches looking for prospects.

That is, of course, a core responsibility of someone in charge of youth national teams.

In fact, during his days at PVF the 70-year-old former coach had already set his sights on broader development goals for the country’s football.

PVF under Troussier brought together promising young players from academies and clubs nationwide, offered them opportunities to train and compete in a modern and well-equipped environment and play under the PVF banner at international tournaments to which the academy was invited.

One such was the U15 International Challenge Cup in 2018, which featured six teams from four countries, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and host Singapore, playing a single round-robin to determine the two finalists.

U15 PVF had their own academy players but also some from other academies such as Song Lam Nghe An and Viettel, including Dinh Xuan Tien, Khuat Van Khang and Nguyen Hong Phuc.

PVF won five of six matches and advanced to the final, where they defeated Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim 1–0.

The lone goal was scored by Phuc from the Viettel academy.

PVF’s then coach Moulay Lahsen Wallen later joined Troussier’s coaching staff at the senior national team.

Thanh Nhan’s case also reflects the French coach’s ambitions. The striker, now 22, was initially at the Fico Tay Ninh academy but was later recruited by PVF after catching Troussier’s eye.

He then played in youth tournaments and V-League 2 at 19, and now plays in the V-League for PVF-CAND.

But while Troussier’s imprint and PVF’s broader vision for Vietnamese football are undeniable, former coach Doan Minh Xuong says Vietnam’s achievements at the 33rd SEA Games should be viewed as the result of a convergence of several factors.

Throughout the development system, players might be identified early and given chances with youth national teams, but to reach a level that gets them call-ups to Vietnam’s U22 side, which played in the SEA Games, they go through club environments in the V-League with coaches who work with them directly on a daily basis, he says.

“Thai Son would not have made the progress and shown the maturity he has today without coach Velizar Popov at Thanh Hoa FC in the past.

“Similarly, Dinh Bac would not be where he is if he had not learned from his time at Quang Nam FC and developed under coach Mano Polking at Cong An Ha Noi.”

In reality, Vietnam’s 33rd SEA Games squad included several players who were not “legacies” of Troussier.

Goalkeeper Trung Kien was called up a few times by the Frenchman, but only made preliminary lists and was left out of the squad that traveled to Cambodia for the 32nd SEA Games in 2023.

Defender Phi Hoang was never called up during the “White Wizard’s” tenure and was recognized only under coach Le Huynh Duc at Da Nang FC.

Van Thuan is a recent breakout from Thanh Hoa FC.

Anywhere in the world, a talented player’s journey toward fulfilling early promise inevitably involves challenges and hard knocks.

Duc Phu, Cong Den, Minh Trong, and Tuan Tai were all once promising names in Troussier’s assessment, but eventually caused varying degrees of regret.

Xuong says the decision to put certain players into play at the right time was also crucial in Vietnam’s recent exploits, particularly through coach Kim Sang-sik’s flexible and adaptive use of personnel.

In the SEA Games final on Dec. 18, the Korean coach identified an issue with Quoc Cuong’s position and immediately replaced him with Thai Son. Van Thuan and Thanh Nhan were also introduced in the second half

All three substitutions directly helped turn the final around after Vietnam trailed by two goals at some time, he says.

Vietnamese players throw coach Kim Sang-sik in the air after their 3-2 victory against Thailand at the 33rd SEA Games final at Rajamangla Stadium in Bangkok, Dec. 18, 2025. Photo by Read/Duc Dong

Xuong points out that throughout the campaign in Thailand, Kim’s team displayed a variety of styles and tactical approaches: They could attack and score from set pieces, deliver wide attacks with purposeful crosses and varied delivery points from Phi Hoang on the left flank and transform long-ball play into short passes and combinations through the central and half-space areas.

“In my view, the person who deserves the most credit for Vietnam’s campaign is coach Kim Sang-sik.

“He built a clear strategy, analyzed opponents carefully, assessed situations well, read games effectively, and made impactful substitutions.

“Besides, we must not forget the investment by the Vietnam Football Federation and the efforts of the clubs. This generation of players has got extensive training and play in many domestic and international tournaments, helping them gain experience, mature and develop mental resilience. Hopefully, this group will continue to receive investment and nurturing to become the core of the future.”