Former Vietnam star Le Cong Vinh has taken charge of training sessions at a Japanese university football team as part of the practical phase of his AFC A Licence coaching course in Japan.
After completing the first phase of the A Licence course organized by the Japan Football Association (JFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in June, Cong Vinh returned to Japan in September for the second stage of the program.
As this phase requires practical coaching experience, the former Vietnam striker sought assistance from Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Technical Director Takeshi Koshida, who helped arrange an invitation for him to observe and conduct coaching sessions at Hokuriku University from September 6 to 15.
“I arrived in Ishikawa Prefecture on September 6 and have already conducted three training sessions,” Cong Vinh said.
“Hokuriku University has two teams, with the first team having just competed in the final stage of the Japanese university football championship.
“I have been given the opportunity to coach both teams, working on topics including attacking play, defending and counter-attacking from defensive situations. I have to write reports on these sessions and submit them to the JFA instructors before entering the third phase in December.”
The 41-year-old former international will also attend J1 League matches on September 12 and 13, where he will work alongside Koshida to conduct match analysis as another part of the coaching course.
Cong Vinh is expected to complete the third phase of the program in December, with successful participants scheduled to receive their A Licence in April 2027.
He could then take the next step in his coaching education by pursuing the AFC Pro Licence, the highest coaching qualification offered by the continental governing body.
Cong Vinh also revealed that he met JFA President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto during his time at the federation’s headquarters in Chiba.
“When I was at the JFA headquarters in Chiba, President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto met the participants and spoke with me,” Cong Vinh said. “He was very supportive of the possibility of me continuing with the Pro Licence course in Japan.”
Cong Vinh is widely regarded as one of the finest strikers in Vietnamese football history. He helped Vietnam win the 2008 AFF Cup, the predecessor of today’s ASEAN Cup, and remains the national team’s all-time leading scorer with 51 goals in 83 appearances.
His connection with the national team was highlighted again at the 2026 ASEAN Cup, when the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) selected him to carry the championship trophy onto the pitch at My Dinh Stadium ahead of the second leg of the final between Vietnam and Thailand.
VSN/RPT
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