LookAtVietnam – National U23 team coach Henrique Calisto has called up Da Nang striker Ha Manh Tuan, to be the youngest player in the 33-man squad

National U23 team coach Henrique Calisto (Left). (Photo: VNN)

Calisto also called up four other Da Nang players: midfielders Tran Van Hoc, Vo Hoang Quang, Cao Cuong and Phan Thanh Hung.

The 56 year-old coach said all were young but had grown up fast and contributed to Da Nang’s success in the national premiership, V-League.

Da Nang won two titles this year: the top V-League prize after 17 years of waiting and the National Cup.

Arguably Viet Nam’s most successful foreign coach, Calisto steered the national team to gold in the AFF-Suzuki Cup last December and built up the U23 team based on the U22 line-up which won the Merdeka Cup last year in Malaysia.

The team includes three goalkeepers, 12 defenders, 11 midfielders and seven strikers.

“All players in this list are good ones,” Calisto said. “I believe in their ability. My principle in choosing players is that I only take people who I really believe in. That’s enough. Nevertheless, I have names to spare and I can completely change when necessary.”

The team will begin training today, September 4 in Ha Noi and continue training in China from September 14-24 before going to Vientiane in Laos to compete in a pre-SEA Games event from October 4-10.

The team play a friendly with Chunam Dragons of South Korea on October 21 and then compete in the Viet Nam Football Federation Cup against Thailand, Singapore and Olympic China on November 7-11.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News