Vietnam national football team's new South Korean head coach Park Hang-seo on Wednesday vowed to make his side the best among teams in Southeast Asia.
Park officially signed a contract with the Vietnam Football Federation in Hanoi to lead its men's national team until 2020. Vietnamese media reported that Park will receive an annual salary of between $240,000 and $260,000.
"I will give all of my knowledge, philosophy and passion to Vietnam that selected me," Park said at a press conference. "I pursue football which players can move as one unit and maximize organized plays. I will try to improve the team's speed and ball possession."
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This photo provided by DJ Management shows Park Hang-seo speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on Oct. 11, 2017, after he became head coach of the Vietnamese national football team. (Yonhap) |
Park will fill the void left by Nguyen Huu Thang who departed in August. His first mission will be leading Vietnam, currently 130th in the latest FIFA rankings, to qualify for the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.
"I want to put Vietnam at the top in Southeast Asia and then in Asia," he said. "During my tenure, I want to improve Vietnam's FIFA ranking to somewhere around 100th. Based on what we saw from South Korea at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, this isn't an impossible task."
Park will make his coaching debut with the Golden Stars on Nov. 14 when they take on Afghanistan.
Park is best known for his role with the South Korean national team in 2002 when he was Guus Hiddink's assistant and helped the Taeguk Warriors finish fourth at the FIFA World Cup. He later managed South Korean pro clubs like Gyeongnam FC, Jeonnam Dragons and Sangju Sangmu.
Park was head coach of Changwon City FC in the third-tier National League before signing with Vietnam. (Yonhap)
