Vietnam have the experience to beat Indonesia: Troussier

Vietnam will play Indonesia away on March 21 and at home on March 26 for the second qualification round.

"The Indonesia clash is important. It's one of the matches that affects our chance of progressing," Troussier said at a press conference in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta on Wednesday.

"My players are ready. I have worked with them for a year. I believe we have accumulated enough experience and field time. In the 2023 Asian Cup, we did not achieve the desired goal but still learned many things. Now that the team are confident, we will show that in tomorrow's game. It will be a big challenge for Vietnam. But we like challenges."

Vietnam are second in group F with three points, after winning 2-0 against the Philippines and losing 0-1 to Iraq in November 2023. Indonesia have one point as the Philippines but are at the bottom of the table because of goal difference.

The two upcoming games will likely decide the chance of progressing for both Vietnam and Indonesia.

Since coach Troussier took charge of Vietnam last year, he has only faced Indonesia once and lost 0-1 at the 2023 Asian Cup earlier this year. This is Vietnam's first defeat against Indonesia in eight years and it also eliminated them early from the tournament. Troussier was heavily criticized for this loss.

"Sometimes winning doesn't mean playing well. Sometimes losing doesn't mean a bad performance," Troussier said at the press conference.

"I know everyone wants good results. My players have tried their best. We just haven't been lucky. We are striving to be better. With careful preparation, I believe we can create surprises and memorable moments."

Vietnam are facing many disadvantages when a number of key players could not join the squad due to injuries. Meanwhile, Indonesia have quickly increased their power by adding a series of naturalized players from Europe, mainly the Netherlands.

Many fans have thus expressed doubt about Vietnam's chance to succeed.

Troussier said he is not a psychic or fortune teller to predict the accurate score, but affirmed that his players will go out there and fight with all they have.

"As a head coach, I’m always ready to be the captain. The players behind me are warriors and they are ready to overcome the storms," he said.