Argentina's coach expressed regret: 'Vietnam deserved to win against Thailand'

After concluding the group stage of the 2026 AFC Futsal Championship as runners-up in Group B and advancing to the quarterfinals, head coach Diego Giustozzi shared his contentment with the Vietnam futsal team’s display and is confident his squad can leave a remarkable mark in this competition.

Overall assessment of the group stage, Coach Diego Giustozzi believes the Vietnam futsal team has shown clear progress with each match. “I am very pleased with what the team demonstrated during the group stage. Both individual form and collective play improved with every game. Specifically, in today’s match, I think we deserved to win and actually played better than our opponents. The important thing is that the team entered the quarterfinals in a very positive state,”he stated.

Regarding potential opponents in the quarterfinals, either Indonesia or Iraq, Coach Diego Giustozzi mentioned these are significant challenges with very different characteristics. “Indonesia is a Southeast Asian team with a style and approach to the game quite similar to ours, while Iraq is a completely different opponent with its own style. Indonesia also has the home advantage and strong crowd support. However, once in the quarterfinals, all 8 teams are the strongest in Asia,”Coach Diego Giustozzi commented.

When asked about choosing an opponent, the Vietnam futsal head coach emphasized that he does not focus on this issue. “I do not want to select an opponent. The most important thing right now is the team’s feeling after today’s match, and that feeling is very good. I am truly satisfied with the players’ performance.”

Speaking about Vietnam’s playing style in this tournament, Coach Diego Giustozzi highlighted the team’s balance in both defense and attack. The Argentine strategist stressed: “The team is playing attractive futsal. We deserved to win against Kuwait, Lebanon, and also in the recent match. The whole squad is ready for the quarterfinals.”

Sharing about the next goal, Coach Diego Giustozzi affirmed the team’s ambition goes beyond reaching the quarterfinals. “We want to keep winning to reach the semifinals and make history. I am very proud of the players. This is a very young team; among the 14 players, 8 are participating in an AFC tournament for the first time, many just 20–21 years old. I believe this team can create a special impression in this year’s competition.”

Echoing the head coach, captain Nguyễn Mạnh Dũng believes reaching the quarterfinals demonstrates the quality of the teams in the tournament. “We might face Indonesia, an opponent with a fairly equal level. In the quarterfinals, all teams are very strong. The coaching staff will carefully study the opponent to prepare the best possible strategy, aiming for a positive result.”

Regarding specifically the match against Thailand,Nguyễn Mạnh Dũng said: “Thailand is a very strong opponent. The whole team followed the tactics set by the coaching staff. However, they took advantage of their chances better, which is why Thailand won.”