Vietnam have suffered a major setback ahead of the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 after key midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai was ruled out of the tournament with a left ankle injury, with head coach Kim Sang-sik calling up Vo Hoang Minh Khoa as his replacement.
The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) confirmed at noon on September 22 that Quang Hai would not travel with the national team to Indonesia after sustaining the injury. The exact severity of the problem and his expected recovery time have yet to be confirmed, but his absence represents a significant loss for Vietnam given his importance under Kim Sang-sik and his role in the squad that won back-to-back ASEAN Championship titles in 2024 and 2026.
Vietnam assembled with their full available squad on September 22 and were scheduled to hold a training session later in the afternoon. Remarkably, it will be the national team’s only training session at home before they depart for Indonesia early on September 23, leaving Kim and his coaching staff with a very limited preparation period ahead of their opening match against the Philippines three days later.
Born in 1997 and developed through Hanoi FC’s youth academy, Quang Hai has established himself as one of the most decorated Vietnamese players of his generation. At domestic level, the midfielder has won five V.League 1 titles, three National Cups and five National Super Cups. With Vietnam’s national teams, he has collected three Southeast Asian championship titles and was also part of the U23 side that finished runners-up at the AFC U23 Asian Cup.
Following confirmation of Quang Hai’s left ankle injury, Kim Sang-sik moved quickly to reinforce his midfield by calling up Vo Hoang Minh Khoa of Becamex Ho Chi Minh City for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. The 2001-born midfielder has already accumulated considerable international experience at youth level, having helped Vietnam U23 win the 2023 ASEAN U23 Championship before featuring at the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup in Qatar.
Minh Khoa later earned his first senior international appearance when he was named in the starting lineup for Vietnam’s 5-0 victory over Laos in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. His inclusion gives Kim another option in midfield as Vietnam adjust their plans following the loss of Quang Hai.
The national team are scheduled to fly to Indonesia on the morning of September 23 and will have only three days to prepare for their opening FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 Division 1 Group B fixture.
Vietnam begin their campaign against the Philippines on September 26 at Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung. Kim Sang-sik’s side will then face regional rivals Thailand on September 29 before completing the group stage against Pakistan on October 2.
VSN/RPT
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