Van Hau, Van Lam not to attend FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026

Vietnam's squad for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 will not include Doan Van Hau, Dang Van Lam, and Filip Nguyen, but features two new naturalized players, Adou Minh and Williams Minh Hoang.

Doan Van Hau in Vietnam's 2-0 victory over Malaysia in the second leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 semifinals, on the evening of 19/8 at My Dinh Stadium, Hanoi. Photo: Duc Dong

Defenders Doan Van Hau and goalkeeper Dang Van Lam, who were part of the recent ASEAN Cup-winning squad (though Van Lam did not play and Van Hau featured for about 360 minutes), will not be participating in the upcoming tournament. Van Hau, a regular starter for his club, recently received a red card for a rough foul on Doan Ngoc Tan in V-League round 2, leading to an additional four-match ban from domestic competitions.

Goalkeeper Filip Nguyen, who missed the previous ASEAN Cup to play in the AFC Champions League playoffs with CA Ha Noi Club – helping them secure a 2-0 victory over Melbourne to reach the main tournament – was not called up by coach Kim Sang-sik for this event. His spot will be filled by Nguyen Van Viet from The Cong, alongside Patrik Le Giang and Tran Trung Kien.

The defensive line features familiar faces, complemented by two new naturalized players: Cao Pendant Quang Vinh and Nguyen Adou Leygley Minh. Adou Minh, a French-Vietnamese center-back born in 1997, recently obtained Vietnamese citizenship and plays for CA Ha Noi, bringing valuable V-League experience.

In the midfield, Nguyen Hoang Duc and Nguyen Tai Loc have been named despite currently recovering from injuries. They are joined by Thanh Long, Hoang Hen, Hai Long, Quang Hai, and Le Van Do.

The attacking lineup features Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Xuan Son, Pham Gia Hung, and new Vietnamese-English naturalized player Williams Minh Hoang. Born in 2007, Williams Minh Hoang plays for CA TP HCM. Standing 1m90 tall, he made a significant impact in his debut V-League season and was instrumental in CA TP HCM's National Cup victory at the end of last season.

The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 is scheduled from 21/9 to 6/10, hosted in Indonesia and Hong Kong, and will feature two divisions: A and B. Vietnam has been drawn into Group B of Division A, where they will compete against Pakistan, Thailand, and the Philippines. Division A's Group A includes hosts Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Singapore.

The tournament will follow a single round-robin format, with points determining standings. The winners of each group in both divisions will compete in their respective finals. In Division A, the two second-place teams will play off for third place.

Vietnam is scheduled to face the Philippines on 26/9 at 19h30.