Nguyen Anh Duc named Becamex Binh Duong coach, vows V.League revival

Binh Duong, May 6, 2025 – Becamex Binh Duong named Nguyen Anh Duc as head coach for the remainder of the 2024-2025 V.League season, replacing Nguyen Cong Manh after a 3-1 loss to Hong Linh Ha Tinh in Round 21. The club legend, tasked with reversing a dismal run and chasing the National Cup, brings familiarity but faces steep challenges, per VFF announcements.

Anh Duc, a 1985-born striker who played 13 years for Becamex Binh Duong, scoring 116 goals, retired in 2020 and coached Binh Phuoc FC to a mid-table V.League 2 finish this season. His deep club ties, akin to The Cong Viettel’s Nguyen Hoang Duc, are expected to ease his transition, unlike predecessors like Hoang Anh Tuan and Cong Manh, who faltered amid five coaching changes in two seasons, per Vietnam Sports News. Anh Duc’s immediate goal is to lift Becamex Binh Duong from 8th (25 points) and secure the National Cup.

Becamex Binh Duong’s form has cratered, with one draw and five losses since March, scoring four goals while conceding 16, the V.League’s worst over six matches, per Sofascore. Six points clear of 12th-placed Binh Dinh FC, who have a game in hand, and 11 above Da Nang FC, they risk a play-off to avoid relegation with five rounds left. Historically, 27 points ensure safety, a mark Becamex Binh Duong are one win shy of, but Nguyen Tien Linh’s seven goals haven’t stemmed the slide, unlike Nam Dinh FC’s firepower.

The National Cup offers salvation. Becamex Binh Duong face Song Lam Nghe An in the semifinals on May 15, with a potential home final against Hanoi Police FC or Hanoi FC at Go Dau Stadium, a 15,000-capacity venue rivaling Ho Chi Minh City FC’s Thong Nhat. Anh Duc’s V.League 2 experience, including a 4-2-3-1 setup at Binh Phuoc, must stabilize a squad underperforming despite signings like Janclesio, echoing Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s struggles.

Anh Duc’s challenge mirrors Thanh Hoa FC’s 2023 reset: uniting a fractured dressing room and reviving Nguyen Tien Linh, who’s goalless in four games. His appointment, backed by Becamex Binh Duong’s board, aims to avoid a sixth trophyless year since their 2018 V.League title. Facing Hanoi FC next, Anh Duc’s tactical tweaks, inspired by Long An FC’s youth focus, target a top-half finish and cup glory, with 5,000 expected fans fueling their fight to evade the play-off and restore past dominance, akin to Hanoi FC’s resurgence.