Vietnam’s national football team coach Park Hang-seo returned home to Korea on Tuesday after the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup, where Vietnam produced its best-ever result by advancing to the quarterfinals.
“I came back for the Lunar New Year holiday,” Park told reporters at Incheon International Airport. “I’m tired after a series of international events. I want to get some rest and spend time with my family, so that I can continue to work toward my goals.”
Since Park took the helm of the Vietnamese national team in October 2017, he has come a long way. He led the team to the final of the AFC U-23 Championship in January last year and the semifinals of the Asian Games in Indonesia in August. Vietnam won the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup in December and most recently made it to the quarterfinals at the Asian Cup.
Park has become a hero in Vietnam, where football fans take to the streets in celebration of the team’s good performances.
The next task for Park, who is in charge of both the senior and U-23 teams, is to prepare for the Asian qualifiers for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which begin in March.
With Park at the helm, Vietnamese football fans have started dreaming of reaching the World Cup.
“Vietnam needs more than 10 years to be able to compete in the World Cup. Whenever I get a chance, I tell government or football officials that they have to invest in youth football from a long-term perspective,” Park said.
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