VFF Chairman: A dream comes true

How can I express my feelings? Football players hugged me tightly and a colleague in the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) lifted me up as if we had just had a triumph over Japan, VFF Chairman Nguyen Trong Hy told VietNamNet after the match between Vietnam and Japan.

How much of a bonus will the VFF present to the national soccer squad as the team has entered the quarter-finals of Asian Cup 2007?

We will immediately present the team with VND300 million (US$18,700). Mr. Le Hung Dung (a patron) will also award the team VND50 million ($3,000). Other patrons will surely give bonuses to the team after this achievement.

Entering the quarter-finals of Asian Cup is a historic victory which we have never achieved. Do you think that this will be a springboard for Vietnam”s football?

Frankly, the quality of our national soccer team has been upgraded one level during this tournament. Entering the quarter-final round is an impressive achievement! Before this tournament nobody dared to think of this. Of course, we have had some luck.

As Chairman of VFF, what do you think about the organising tasks of Vietnam?

The event has been taking place very smoothly with many successes in various fields, including the accession to the quarter-finals by the host team and the stadium always full of spectators.

Do you think that we will create a surprise in the quarter-final match in Thailand?

It would be better if we played at home in the match. Entering this round is a great success. I don”t dare to dream farther because we have to be practical, but nobody knows⬦

But perhaps it is good that we have the goal of the semi-finals, win or lose. Our dream has finally come true with Vietnam going to the quarter-finals.

Do you have a plan for the Vietnamese Olympic team to prepare for the upcoming qualifier round of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where we will meet Japan again?

The Olympic team will try to not have as big a loss (1-4) as the national squad because we have learnt something from this match. The Olympic team is the future and the platform for the development of Vietnam”s football so it will receive the most attention.

Source: VNN