Coach Gong wants young players to get more V.League game-time

By using players like 19-year-old Khuất Văn Khang (8) in the AFC U23 Asian Cup, Gong Oh-kyun showed his belief in young players. — Photo thanhnien.vn

HÀ NỘI — After a campaign that saw U23 Việt Nam cruise to the AFC U23 Asian Cup quarter-finals, Gong Oh-kyun has proved himself to be the right man for the job.

Unfortunately, due to the ASIAD 19 being postponed, the U23 Asian Cup is the one and only tournament for Gong’s men in 2022.

And since his players are still young, the 47-year-old manager is concerned that they will not get enough opportunities to play in the upcoming V.League. 

Oh-kyun has said VFF must have a plan for young talents to be given more playing time in the nation’s highest competition.

“I feel worried that young Vietnamese players won’t have chance to play in a competitive environment,” Gong said.

“As ASIAD 19 has been postponed, there are no tournaments left for my players this year. That’s why I’m concerned about the players not gaining enough experience in terms of mentality and expertise if they don’t have enough playing time in the V.League.  

“In the AFC U23 Asian Cup, we had a good performance. But in the future, how the players are invested in and taken care of is a question that we need to answer soon.”

Gong also suggested that Việt Nam learn from Korea in implementing regulations on the use of young players.

“In Korea, many young players have played more and more in the K.League in recent years and it is clearly beneficial for football in my country,” Gong said.

“In the past, Korea also faced the same problem as in Việt Nam, in that clubs rarely used young players, but now the K.League has regulations that every club must use a number of young players, things are getting much better.

“I want Việt Nam to learn from Korean football in this regard. The learning that comes from training is not enough, it must also come from competition.

“So, I want young players to play more in the V.League. I look forward to seeing Việt Nam’s domestic tournaments, seeing my players compete and keep their form if they are given the opportunities.”

“When I return to Hà Nội, I will need to have specific discussions with VFF.” — VNS