Vietnam U23 head coach to go pro

By Hoang Nguyen June 14, 2022 | 01:26 am PT

Coach Gong-Oh Kyun (white shirt) encourages a player coming on as a substitution in the game with South Korea in U23 Asian Cup on June 6, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

Gong Oh-kyun, head coach of Vietnam U23, is set to return to South Korea to obtain his pro coach license before continuing to manage the team.

Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and coach Gong Oh-kyun signed a one-year contract in March this year. Gong took over the team from national coach Park Hang-seo after SEA Games 31.

After coaching the team at the U23 Asian Cup 2022 in Uzbekistan, Gong received praise for the playing style and tenacious spirit he brought to the team.

VFF said that in the near future, Gong will continue to prepare Vietnam U23 for tournaments in 2023.

VFF General Secretary Le Hoai Anh said: "Coach Gong will complete the pro coaching course in South Korea, then return to Vietnam to continue his work. Because Asian Games this year has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Gong's job is mainly to observe domestic pro and youth leagues to select talents for the U23 team, heading toward SEA Games 32 and U23 Asian Cup qualifiers that will take place in 2023."

Anh said the VFF and coach Gong will have a meeting to review and evaluate the results at the U23 Asian Cup 2022, as well as prepare for the next tournaments.

After returning home from the U23 Asian Cup, the players will again be available for domestic league duty in July.

Khuat Van Khang and Nguyen Van Truong will join the national U19 team, which are preparing for 2022 AFF U19 Championship.

In the recent U23 Asian Cup 2022, Vietnam exited the tournament after losing 0-2 to Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. Before that, the team peaked second in group C by beating Malaysia and drawing against Thailand and South Korea.