Opening Ceremony of FIFA Talent Identification Workshop
On the afternoon of June 1, the opening ceremony of the FIFA Talent Identification Workshop took place at the headquarters of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF). The workshop was jointly organized by VFF and FIFA.
Attending the opening ceremony were Tran Quoc Tuan – FIFA Competition Committee Member, AFC Executive Committee Member and VFF President; Tran Anh Tu – VFF Vice President; Nguyen Sy Hien – Chairman of the National Football Coaches Council; Mai Duc Chung – Vice Chairman of the National Football Coaches Council; Nguyen Van Phu – VFF General Secretary; Nguyen Thanh Ha – VFF Deputy General Secretary, along with representatives from several VFF departments. Representing FIFA at the workshop were instructors Eric Abraham and Richard Allen. The event also welcomed 45 participants from local football associations, VFF member organizations, and youth football training centers across the country.
In his opening remarks, Tran Quoc Tuan – FIFA Competition Committee Member, AFC Executive Committee Member and VFF President – expressed his delight that, following a period of collaboration between VFF and the FIFA Development Office, support programs for Vietnamese football in general and youth football development in particular have now been planned and prepared for implementation by FIFA.
These projects are focused on enhancing the quality of human resources as well as improving the identification and selection of young talents.
VFF has implemented a range of synchronized plans for talent identification and the development of youth competitions, achieving remarkable success in the process. Notably, eight Vietnamese youth national teams have successfully advanced through the qualification stages to compete in AFC final tournaments.
Among these achievements, Vietnam U23 won the Southeast Asian U23 Championship gold medal and secured a bronze medal at the AFC U23 Championship, while Vietnam U17 made history by qualifying for the FIFA U17 World Cup for the first time.
He expressed his hope that Vietnamese football will continue to sustain and build upon these accomplishments in the years ahead.
As one of the two FIFA instructors at the workshop, Eric Abraham expressed his pleasure at returning to Vietnam and reuniting with familiar faces he had previously worked with.
Eric Abraham noted that participating in this workshop carries significant importance in the process of cooperation for youth football development. Through the program, all parties hope to establish high-quality youth football training centers that will serve as a solid foundation for sustainable development in the future.
For his part, FIFA instructor Richard Allen stated that, in addition to theoretical sessions, the program also includes practical on-field activities where participants can directly observe and assess players in action. This is regarded as a key component in bridging theory and practice.
Richard Allen expressed his hope that participants would approach the workshop with a positive attitude and a proactive spirit of learning, so that together they can contribute to the development of youth football in Vietnam.
Representing the 45 participants, coach Dinh The Nam affirmed that the program provides valuable opportunities for attendees to gain access to new and modern approaches in talent identification and youth player development.
He expressed his gratitude to the VFF leadership and FIFA instructors for organizing such a meaningful workshop, which contributes to enhancing knowledge and providing clearer direction in the discovery and nurturing of football talent in Vietnam.
Following the opening ceremony, the FIFA instructors continued the workshop with key sessions focused on effective talent identification, while also sharing approaches to aligning player selection processes with the needs and standards of the national teams.
VFF hopes the workshop will strengthen connections among clubs, academies and youth development systems, with the aim of building a more coordinated network for talent identification and development.
Through this initiative, VFF seeks to enhance the capabilities of coaches and scouts while gradually improving the youth training system, thereby creating a strong pipeline of quality players for Vietnam’s national teams in the future.
According to the schedule, the workshop will be held in two phases: in Hanoi from June 1 to June 3, and in Ho Chi Minh City from June 6 to June 8.
