Opening ceremony of the AFC/VFF Goalkeeper Coaching Certificate “C” Course in Hai Phong
On the morning of February 2 in Hai Phong City, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), in coordination with Hai Phong Football Club and the Hai Phong Football Federation, held the opening ceremony of the AFC/VFF Goalkeeper Coaching Certificate “C” Course. The course will take place from February 2 to February 8, 2026.
04/02/2026 10:14:38
The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the host unit, including Mr. Nguyen Phu Chien – Deputy Executive Director of Hai Phong Football Club, and Mr. Nguyen Huu Huong – Chief of Office of the Hai Phong Football Federation; representatives of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the course organizing committee, as well as the lecturers and participants of the program.
This course features two Vietnamese instructors, Mr. Nguyen The Anh (Instructor) and Mr. Dang Dinh Duc (Assistant Instructor), who will directly deliver the training. Notably, this is the first course fully conducted and managed by a Vietnamese teaching staff, marking an important milestone in the development and standardization of Vietnam’s goalkeeper coaching education system in accordance with AFC standards.
To take charge of this course, the Vietnamese teaching staff have undergone systematic training, notably through their participation in the first-ever AFC/VFF Goalkeeper Coaching Certificate “A” Course and the Goalkeeper Instructor Course in 2023. In addition, the development of the training curriculum also received professional guidance and support from Mr. Kato Yoshio – a highly experienced FIFA/AFC/JFA goalkeeping expert who has been appointed by FIFA/AFC to more than 50 courses. He is also a co-founder of the Japan Goalkeeper Project and has both played and coached Japan’s goalkeepers at the FIFA World Cup. Mr. Kato Yoshio has also made significant contributions to the training of Vietnam’s first goalkeeper coaches to obtain the “A” certificate.
Prior to the course, the Vietnamese goalkeeper instructor group, including Nguyen The Anh, Chau Tri Cuong, Tran Minh Quang and Dang Dinh Duc, proactively held discussions, shared expertise, and prepared lesson plans as well as technical analysis clips to support the teaching content. During the preparation process, Mr. Kato Yoshio also maintained regular communication and provided updated technical materials for the Vietnamese instructors to reference, helping them further refine the program in accordance with AFC standards.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Phu Chien – Deputy Executive Director of Hai Phong Football Club – expressed his gratitude to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for entrusting the host unit to coordinate the organization of the course. He also affirmed that Hai Phong FC is ready to provide the best possible facilities: “Hai Phong FC has two training facilities, including four natural grass pitches, fully available to support the course. I wish the Organizing Committee and all coaches good health and great success, and I hope all participants will achieve excellent results.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Huu Huong – Chief of Office of the Hai Phong Football Federation – highlighted the significance of the course for developing professional personnel, especially goalkeeper coaches: “Without teachers, it is hard to succeed. This is a highly valuable event. To have good goalkeepers and good coaches, we must learn and train a lot. I would like to advise all coaches: learning is a very good thing—this is the shortcut to success.”
On behalf of the teaching staff, instructor Nguyen The Anh expressed his gratitude to the AFC, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Hai Phong Football Club, and the Hai Phong Football Federation for their coordination in organizing the course. He also shared his experiences in coaching education over the past period. Instructor Nguyen The Anh emphasized his hope that participants would not only complete the program to obtain the certificate, but also continue to accompany and contribute to the development of the goalkeeper coaching education system in the future: “We need more goalkeeper coaches to work together in building the program and developing the next generation, thereby improving the quality of goalkeeper education and training for Vietnamese football.”
Representing the participants, coach Nguyen Ba Hung (Quang Nam FC) – the class monitor – expressed his appreciation to the VFF for organizing the course and pledged to complete the program successfully: “On behalf of all coaches, I would like to commit to completing the course successfully and strictly complying with the class rules and regulations. We understand that we are the ones training young players—the future of Vietnamese football—and we will strive to return to our localities to work effectively, contributing to the development of local football in particular and Vietnamese football in general.”
The AFC/VFF Goalkeeper Coaching Certificate “C” Course in Hai Phong marks an important step, reflecting the Vietnam Football Federation’s (VFF) efforts to standardize coach education. It also demonstrates the VFF’s gradual progress in taking full ownership of an AFC-recognized goalkeeper coaching program, aiming to enhance the quality of human resources and promote the sustainable development of Vietnamese football.
