National football team get new captain

Dung was a key part in Vietnam's midfield during the team's victorious AFF Cup 2018 and SEA Games 2019 campaigns. However, he has been sidelined since March last year after a shin bone fracture in a V. League match.

In November last year, when Dung was still recovering, Park called him up for AFF Cup preparation in order to speed up his process and promised to only use him in the semifinals. But due to paperwork problems, he couldn't go to Singapore for the tournament.

This time, Dung is among 30 players that Park selected for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Australia on Jan. 27 and China on Feb. 1.

Dung wore the captain armband when Vietnam competed in SEA Games 2019 and won the gold medal.

The last time Dung played for the national team was the 0-0 draw with Thailand in the second round of World Cup qualifiers on Nov. 19, 2019.

Before Dung, defender Que Ngoc Hai had served as captain since 2018. But after the AFF Cup failure last year, Park wanted to make some changes to the team and create a new atmosphere in the locker room.