Spanish coach recruits AFF Cup champion striker from Vietnam national team

Coach Gerard Albadalejo decided to bring Ha Duc Chinh back to Becamex TP HCM to replace the seriously injured Bui Vi Hao.

Becamex TP HCM club unexpectedly received bad news when striker Bui Vi Hao suffered an injury after last weekend's training session. According to initial diagnosis, the 23-year-old forward has a serious problem with his left knee, likely requiring surgery and a long absence from play. This is a major loss for the team ahead of the new season.

Bui Vi Hao is considered one of the key attacking factors for Becamex TP HCM thanks to his speed, wide movement ability, and capacity to create breakthroughs. The long-term absence of this striker forced coach Gerard Albadalejo to adjust his personnel plans and quickly seek additional experienced options to ensure depth in the forward line.

The team currently still has foreign striker Daniel Dos Anjos, naturalized forward Hoang Vu Samson, and Nguyen Tran Viet Cuong, who is currently with the Vietnam national team. However, coach Gerard Albadalejo believes the current squad is insufficient to meet the demands of V-League 2 and the National Cup. The Spanish coach wants to add at least two domestic strikers with professional playing experience.

In this context, Ha Duc Chinh has become the priority choice. Although he no longer maintains the high form of his peak period, the 29-year-old forward still possesses many years of V-League experience and has previously played for the Vietnam national team. Duc Chinh can be used in a rotation role, as a center forward, or as a different tactical option when the team needs to increase strength in the penalty area.

Finding a quality domestic striker at this time is not easy, because most experienced goal scorers have already secured their future at other clubs. Therefore, the option of bringing Ha Duc Chinh back to Becamex TP HCM is considered feasible. He has previously played for this club, so he won't need much time to adapt to the new environment.

Coach Gerard Albadalejo has spent time studying Ha Duc Chinh's performance in recent seasons, and also understood the psychological issues that caused the Phu Tho-born striker to struggle with scoring. The Spanish coach directly talked to him, helping Duc Chinh relieve pressure and regain confidence. He believes that the tactical system being built can help the 29-year-old revive in the 2026-2027 season.