In the starting lineup of Vietnam National Team against Japan in the first match of Group D of the 2024 Asian Cup Finals, Coach Troussier surprised many people by placing Nguyen Dinh Bac – a 19-year-old striker – as a partner. Pham Tuan Hai, and at the same time crossed out Nguyen Van Toan’s name. Many fans are worried that the lack of experience will cause the striker of Quang Nam Club to be overwhelmed by the stars playing in Europe of the Japanese national team.
Nguyen Dinh Bac celebrates scoring against Japan. Photo: AFC.
Nguyen Dinh Bac had 64 minutes of his life against the Japanese national team
However, all concerns disappeared when fans witnessed Nguyen Dinh Bac’s confident playing style and swift running steps on the field. It can be confirmed that the Nghe An striker had 64 minutes of his life against the Japanese national team. Nguyen Dinh Bac contributed greatly to both goals of the Vietnam national team. In the 16th minute, this player scored with an almost unbelievable header, not giving Suzuki a chance to block. In the 32nd minute, he forced the Japanese player to foul, leading to a penalty kick that Pham Tuan Hai later scored to increase the score.
At the end of the match, Nguyen Dinh Bac was scored 7.3 points – equal to captain Do Hung Dung, the highest in the Vietnamese team. This is also the second highest score among all players on the field in this match.
Nguyen Dinh Bac achieved the feat when he was only 19 years, 4 months and 26 days old. This parameter puts the midfielder on the payroll of Quang Nam Club past “senior” Phan Thanh Binh, to become the youngest Vietnamese player to score a goal at a major festival of continental football. Phan Thanh Binh’s previous achievement was 20 years, 8 months and 10 days, established in the group stage of the 2007 Asian Cup. The former assistant coach of Dong Thap currently scored the opening goal, in the 1-1 draw that the team played. Vietnam got it before Qatar.
Even Nguyen Dinh Bac surpassed Thai player Supachai Jaided (20 years, 1 month and 20 days), to set the milestone of the youngest player in Southeast Asia to score at the Asian Cup. Besides, Nguyen Dinh Bac is also the youngest player to score after the past 5 matches in the 2024 Asian Cup group stage, and possibly also at this year’s tournament.
It can be said that Nguyen Dinh Bac is one of the strikers with very high performance in the Vietnam national team at this time. The player wearing shirt number 7 of Quang Nam Club is coach Troussier’s favorite trump card. Since October, Nguyen Dinh Bac has been regularly called up to the Vietnam national team. Even in the last 5 matches, he was given the opportunity to start 3 matches and had 2 goals.
Is Nguyen Dinh Bac capable of replacing Van Toan in the Vietnam national team? Photo:FBNV.
How quickly has Nguyen Dinh Bac grown up?
Last season (2023), Nguyen Dinh Bac became a phenomenon in the First Division when he scored 8 goals and had 7 assists in 12 matches for the Quang team. Notably, towards the end of the season, the performance of the Nghe An-born player became more impressive. This striker born in 2004 had a poker goal (4 goals) in the victory of Quang Nam Club at Binh Thuan Stadium or a double in an important victory against direct promotion competitor PVF-CAND. This season, Nguyen Dinh Bac appeared in 7/8 matches in V.League 2023/2024 and had 2 goals. In addition, he also has 1 goal in the 2023/2024 National Cup front.
Nguyen Dinh Bac’s strengths are his speed, ability to pass people, sweep, be aggressive and extremely powerful finishing situations. Not to mention, the height of players born in 2004 is also an advantage in pressure situations and hand-to-hand disputes.
Talking about body shape, there are quite interesting statistics about this young player. That is, in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup more than a month ago, according to data announced by the Organizing Committee, Nguyen Dinh Bac was 1m78 tall. But according to the latest measurements from the 2024 Asian Cup Organizing Committee, the young player of Quang Nam Club has grown by 2 cm, reaching a height of 1m80.
It must be further affirmed that Nguyen Dinh Bac is an all-round player who dares to play football as coach Troussier needs… As mentioned, the most important thing in the French coach’s football philosophy is not only in form but in tactical understanding. Coach Troussier wants to find players who understand his ideas and the ideas of his teammates. In other words, it’s a rail that keeps the train rolling instead of having to start over. Putting his trust in young people like Nguyen Dinh Bac, coach Troussier looks forward to a new breeze, with fighting power and the desire to win always present.
Although he works a lot on the right wing, this season, Nguyen Dinh Bac has been planned a lot by coach Van Sy Son as the left striker. In 3 goals scored in V.League 2023/2024 and National Cup 2023/2024, 2 of them were scored by Nguyen Dinh Bac on the left wing. In the match against the Philippines in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup, Nguyen Dinh Bac’s goal to double the gap also came from the left corridor. Against the Japanese national team, this 1m80 tall striker’s super header also came from a corner kick on the left wing…
With Nguyen Dinh Bac and the Vietnam National Team, the 2024 Asian Cup mission is now completely feasible. Photo: VFF.
From the boy eliminated by SLNA to the hero of the Vietnamese national team
On the day he was eliminated by SLNA for not being physically fit, young Nguyen Dinh Bac probably could not have imagined that his career would advance so quickly in such a dramatic way.
After falling out of favor in Nghe An, Nguyen Dinh Bac seemed to have ended his professional football path. However, thanks to the introduction of former SLNA player Ho Thanh Thuong, Nguyen Dinh Bac packed his bags to Quang Nam in 2020. Here, the 16-year-old boy showed special qualities. He constantly learns, strives and gradually affirms his mark both at the club youth team level as well as the team.
The fact that Quang Nam has a coach from Nghe An (Van Sy Son) also opens up opportunities for Nguyen Dinh Bac. In the 2023 season, the 19-year-old boy played 14 matches, scored 8 goals, helping Quang Nam return to the V.League. In the highest division of domestic football, Nguyen Dinh Bac continued to assert himself with 2 goals in 7 matches, including an emotional goal against the hometown team that abandoned him, SLNA Club (scored in 4-4 draw with SLNA last December).
At the team level, Nguyen Dinh Bac was once suspected when he was summoned by coach Troussier. But after consecutive goals, Nguyen Dinh Bac’s position was confirmed.
Nguyen Dinh Bac’s impressive performance is also a sweet tribute to coach Troussier, who trusted him and gave him the opportunity. A 2-4 defeat to Japan was not enough to erase the impression Nguyen Dinh Bac and the Vietnam team had created. Mr. Troussier’s belief and his philosophy with the Vietnam National Team have initially shown their value.
With Nguyen Dinh Bac and the Vietnam National Team, the 2024 Asian Cup mission is now completely feasible.
