Bangladesh Coach Makes Direct Statement About Xuân Son and Hoàng Hên Ahead of Match Against Vietnam

The Vietnam national team will play a friendly match against Bangladesh at 19:00 on March 26 at Hàng Đẫy Stadium, aiming to assess squad strength and finalize the lineup before the match against Malaysia in the final round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

On the afternoon of March 25, Bangladesh Coach Javi Penato held a press conference ahead of the match against Vietnam. In an interview with the media, the Bangladesh Coach admitted having thoroughly studied the Vietnam national team.

“We have studied Vietnam carefully, especially your journey in the U23 Asian Cup. Vietnamese football is making very positive progress,”he commented. “Previously, you had Nguyễn Xuân Son, and now you also have Đỗ Hoàng Hên, making the squad stronger. We will focus fully to perform at our best,”.

Besides paying special attention to Xuân Son and Hoàng Hên, Javi Penato also highly praised the Vietnam national team as a collective.

“Tomorrow’s match is important for us as we get to face a strong opponent in Southeast Asia. I believe playing against a strong team like Vietnam will give us more confidence to face Singapore on March 31.”

On the FIFA rankings, Bangladesh currently stands at 181st, significantly behind Vietnam (103rd) and Singapore (148th). However, Coach Javier Cabrera remains optimistic, believing this gap is not an insurmountable barrier. He believes that with determined spirit and good organization, Bangladesh can certainly create unpredictable matches against higher-rated opponents.

The encounter with the Bangladesh team is not merely a friendly but also a “final rehearsal” before the crucial match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. This is an opportunity for the coaching staff to assess the squad, refine tactics, and build favorable momentum.

Among these, the most anticipated aspect is the combination of the duo Xuân Son and Hoàng Hên in the Vietnam national team jersey. The partnership between Hoàng Hên and Xuân Son is particularly noteworthy as both have demonstrated synergy at club level. Statistics show that Hoàng Hên has assisted Xuân Son 10 times, including 2 at Bình Định and 8 at Nam Định. This makes him the most effective supporting partner for this striker in the domestic environment.