Top scorer asserts desire to play as center-back for Vietnam national team

Hoàng Minh Hợi is the top scorer of the National U19 league but affirms that center-back remains the most suitable position for him.

Before the afternoon training session on March 18th for the Vietnam U19 team, center-back Hoàng Minh Hợi openly shared about his personal development journey and goals for this training camp. The 2007-born player demonstrated maturity in his thinking, viewing this as both a significant opportunity and a considerable challenge to prove his capabilities.

As a center-back who once won the Top Scorer title at the 2026 National U19 Championship with 4 goals, Hoàng Minh Hợi believes his individual achievement cannot be separated from the team's contribution. “At the center-back position, I think it suits me best. Scoring goals isn't solely my effort; it's thanks to the excellent support from my teammates that I achieved those goals,” Minh Hợi shared.

Reflecting on his standout performance in 2025, Minh Hợi admits that being called up to the Vietnam U19 team is a great honor in his career. However, he also clearly recognizes the intense competition within the national team environment, requiring him to strive even harder if he wants to stay and earn the trust of the coaching staff.

Sharing about his ideal role model, the young center-back from Sông Lam Nghệ An stated he always looks up to senior player Quế Ngọc Hải. Minh Hợi is particularly impressed with the leadership qualities, decisiveness in defense, and the ability to initiate attacks through passing of the Vietnam national team captain.

Not only developing professionally, Minh Hợi also learns important lessons from senior players regarding conduct and discipline. He emphasizes maintaining discipline, respect, and a progressive spirit as essential factors for a young player to advance, while always listening to instructions from the coaching staff to improve himself daily.

Evaluating Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi, Minh Hợi believes the philosophy of ball control combined with high pressing suits the current generation of players well. While acknowledging the pressure from the selection process, the 2007-born center-back maintains confidence and determination to fully demonstrate his ability to secure a spot in the team, aiming for important goals with Vietnam U19 in 2026.

Vietnam U19 center-back: 'The pressure is immense, but I believe I can do it'

Vietnam U19 conducts first training session under Japanese coach