Viettel FC ready to rumble at AFC Cup

Before the new season, Viettel signed Brazilian striker Geovane Magno from capital rival Hanoi FC, forming a powerful duo with another Brazilian, Pedro Paulo, on the attacking line.

Viettel also extended its contract with Uzbek defender Jakhongir Abdumuminov after national center-back Que Ngoc Hai left the club.

At the 2022 AFC Cup, Viettel will be the only representative of Vietnam after Nam Dinh FC withdrew from the tournament.

Besides three impressive foreign players in the squad, Viettel also have notable domestic members like national keeper Tran Nguyen Manh, defender Bui Tien Dung and especially Nguyen Hoang Duc, who won the 2021 Vietnam Golden Ball.

Besides experienced head coach Truong Viet Hoang, there is also German football expert Jurgen Gede, who has worked in Vietnam for many years.

To guarantee player stamina during multiple tournaments this season, the club have recruited South Korean physical coach Bae Ji-won, former assistant coach of Park Hang-seo on the Vietnam national team.

In AFC Cup this year, Viettel are in group I with Hougang United (Singapore) and Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodia). This group is considered an easy one for Viettel since the other clubs cannot compare in squad depth and level.

Another advantage for Viettel is that the Asian Football Confederation has decided to choose Vietnam as the host for group I games.

The group stage of AFC Cup will take place in June.