Bangladesh media stunned as Vietnam national team 'shuts down' former Premier League star

Not only suffering a heavy defeat, Bangladesh also witnessed their biggest hope in midfield, Choudhury, being almost completely neutralized by the Vietnam national team.

The Vietnam national team delivered a dominant performance against Bangladesh at Hang Day Stadium, securing a convincing 3-0 victory. However, what caught the attention of Bangladesh media was not just the scoreline, but also how Coach Kim Sang Sik's team completely stifled the opponent's most notable strengths.

In the post-match analysis article, the Dhaka Tribune acknowledged that Bangladesh faced a challenge far beyond what they had experienced in recent times. Notably, the newspaper emphasized that Hamza Choudhury, a star who played for Leicester City in the Premier League for several years, also could not make a difference against the Vietnam national team, a detail that most clearly reflects the gap between the two sides.

“Ranked 181st in the FIFA rankings, the Bangladesh national team faced a difficult challenge against Vietnam, a team ranked 103rd in the world – a team 78 places above us. Ultimately, the Bangladesh national team suffered a 0-3 defeat, exposing many weaknesses in defense, raising concerns ahead of the match against Singapore in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers,” the Dhaka Tribune commented.

According to assessments from Bangladesh, the Vietnam national team is clearly at a different level compared to the opponents they have played in friendly matches over the past two years. “They are not like the opponents Bangladesh played in friendlies over the past two years, such as Nepal, Maldives, or Bhutan. This match was clearly a rare opportunity for the Bangladesh national team to assess their capabilities when facing a stronger team,” the article emphasized.

On the field, the Vietnam national team quickly demonstrated superiority. Just 7 minutes after kickoff, Tuan Hai opened the scoring, setting the stage for a explosive first half for the home team. Before the first half ended, Xuan Manh and Hai Long successively added their names to the scoreboard, helping Coach Kim Sang Sik's squad lead by three goals.

Even after establishing a safe lead, the Vietnam national team maintained significant pressure in the second half. With a bit more luck in finishing, the gap could have widened further as shots from Hoang Hen and Gia Hung respectively found the goalpost and crossbar. This further showed that Bangladesh was almost unable to withstand the game Vietnam created.

Most notably, according to Dhaka Tribune, even Bangladesh's midfield could not hold firm despite having Hamza Choudhury. “The team of head coach Javier Cabrera struggled to regain composure after the break. Although the Bangladesh squad tried to play more solidly and cohesively, the reality was that they did not create any clear opportunities. Even when Hamza Choudhury was positioned higher up, he still encountered too many difficulties and could not exert the expected influence,” the writer of this newspaper analyzed.

Concluding the article, Bangladesh media admitted that this defeat was not just a regular loss, but also a major warning for their own team. “Bangladesh football has never achieved victory against Vietnam, and after this match, things remain unchanged. However, the Bangladesh national team needs to quickly regain morale to return home and host the Singapore national team. Although there is no longer a chance to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup finals, this is still an important match to restore faith among the fans.”