Hot football news midday 11/7: Dinh Bac confident to compete for starting spot in Vietnam national team

Dinh Bac gives coach Kim Sang-sik a headache, Cong Phuong makes a comeback to V-League, Indonesia's head coach speaks highly of Vietnam's national team, plus significant transfer news.

Dinh Bac creates a 'pleasant headache' for coach Kim Sang-sik

After nearly three weeks of training in South Korea, the Vietnam national team is entering a phase of finalizing its squad aiming to defend the ASEAN Championship 2026 title. Dinh Bac draws attention by asserting he is ready to compete fairly with his seniors for a starting position, thereby providing more options for coach Kim Sang-sik. The CAHN striker also said that the whole team has made clear progress after two friendly wins against Siheung FC and Yongin FC.

Next, Vietnam will have an important test against Gangwon FC before returning home to play a friendly with Myanmar on July 18, completing preparations for the campaign to defend the regional crown.

Cong Phuong returns to V-League

After many years playing abroad and in the First Division, Cong Phuong is set to return to V-League wearing the colors of Dong Nai in the 2026/27 season. The return of the striker from Nghe An not only boosts professional strength but also promises to generate significant media attention for the league.

Dong Nai also shows ambition by continuously recruiting quality newcomers such as Van Duc, Van Phong, and foreign player Milos Vulic under the guidance of coach Nguyen Viet Thang. With a heavily invested squad, the new team aims to make an impression in its first season back in the top flight, and is expected to become a dark horse of the V-League 2026/27.

Indonesia coach praises Vietnam national team

Ahead of the ASEAN Championship 2026, Indonesia head coach John Herdman surprisingly stated that the Vietnam national team is the most promising candidate for the championship. The English tactician highly commends the thorough preparation, stable squad, and experience of the defending champions under coach Kim Sang-sik. However, Herdman affirmed that Indonesia still aims to compete for the title and is building its squad towards the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and the FIFA World Cup 2030.

In Group A, Vietnam and Indonesia are considered the top two candidates for a semi-final spot, with the match between the two teams on August 3 predicted to be decisive in the race for first place in the group.

Courtois consoles young teammate after mistake

Belgium's national team was eliminated in the World Cup 2026 quarterfinals after a 1-2 loss to Spain, with a turning point coming from a mistake by young goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Brought on to replace Thibaut Courtois in the 71st minute due to injury, Lammens let the ball rebound from Pau Cubarsi's shot, allowing Mikel Merino to score the decisive goal.

After the match, the 23-year-old goalkeeper burst into tears blaming himself, but was immediately embraced and encouraged by Courtois. Belgium's number one goalkeeper affirmed that Lammens is a talented shot-stopper and will grow stronger from this painful experience. The victory also helped Spain reach the semi-finals against France and extended their unbeaten run to 36 games.

Transfer news 11/7

Manchester United suddenly stopped pursuing midfielder Ederson after discovering a knee issue with the Brazilian player during the medical check. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils have informed Atalanta of the changed plan, closing the deal that was once expected to upgrade the midfield. Meanwhile, Barcelona agreed to sign Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund for a fee of 29 million Euros.

In other developments, Lesley Ugochukwu is set to join Galatasaray on loan with a buy option, Sporting KC emerges as a potential destination for Mohamed Salah after the 2026 World Cup, and Jorge Jesus has been officially appointed as head coach of the Portugal national team, replacing Roberto Martinez.