Philippe Troussier NHAC NGUYEN / AFP
Technician passed by Africa or Asia, Philippe Troussier is the new coach of Vietnam.
One more experience. Philippe Troussier, who has already trained many selections, is committed until 2026 with Vietnam, the Vietnamese Football Federation (VFF) announced on Monday, the Frenchman displaying the objective of winning a historic qualification for the World Cup .
“The expansion of the World Cup to 48 countries (for the next edition in North America in 2026, editor’s note) is an opportunity for Vietnam. It’s our ultimate goal“, declared the new coach, aged 67, quoted by a state media. “I cannot accomplish it alone, I will only be a guide. If we are united and try our best, then Vietnamese football can do it.continued Troussier.
A football globetrotter, passed through Africa, Asia or even a former OM coach
The Frenchman succeeds South Korean Park Hang-seo, who had been at the head of this selection since 2017. Philippe Troussier has already coached many selections over the past three decades, particularly in Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Morocco) and in Asia (Qatar, Japan).
With the “Samurai Blues“, he won the Asian Cup in 2000, before competing in the 2002 World Cup organized by Japan and South Korea. Troussier also had various experiences in clubs, particularly in France. In 2004-05, he coached Olympique de Marseille. Since then, he has gone through other formations in Japan, China and Tunisia, until becoming the coach of the under-19s of Vietnam between 2019 and 2021.
Vietnam, 96th nation in the FIFA rankings
Vietnam, 96th in the FIFA rankings, is preparing to play the Asian Cup in Qatar next summer. THE “Gold Star Warriors“, with in their ranks the player of Pau (L2) Nguyen Quang Hai, lost in January in the final of the Southeast Asian Championship against Thailand. They have never played in the World Cup.