Vietnamese footballer nominated for all-time Asian Cup XI

With six months until the 2023 Asian Cup, the AFC has launched a campaign to find the all-time Asian Cup XI.

They picked 42 nominations and from there, each fan can select their favorite all-time XI. For the back four, the AFC nominated 10 defenders, including Hai. The 30-year-old center-back is Vietnam’s only player to be nominated.

10 defenders are nominated in the all-time Asian Cup XI. Photo by AFC

Hai only played one Asian Cup edition, in 2019. He was an important player in Vietnam’s defense, helping the team advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

He will compete with other nine defenders, including top players in Asia like Japan’s Yuto Nagatomo and South Korea’s Hong Myung-bo.

AFC will base on the votes of fans and opinions from a panel of football experts to determine the all-time XI.

Voting closes on July 30 and the result will be announced on August 12, five months before the 2023 Asian Cup starts.

The first edition of the Asian Cup was held in 1956 in Hong Kong, with South Korea being the champion. Since then, the tournament has been through 17 editions. Japan are the most decorated team with four titles.

The 2023 Asian Cup will take place in Qatar from January 12 to February 10, 2024, with 24 teams divided into six groups. Vietnam are in group D with Japan, Iraq and Indonesia.