Van Hau before the semi-final against Malaysia: 'The important thing is to give everything for the Vietnam national team'

Being sidelined for over two years because of injury has given Doan Van Hau a fresh outlook on his career. Nowadays, the seasoned and versatile full-back is focused on helping the Vietnam national team secure their fourth regional championship at the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.

The Vietnam national team will face Malaysia in the first leg of the semi-final in Kuala Lumpur at 20:00 on August 16, with Van Hau once again becoming a key figure in the team's journey.

However, from September 2023 until the end of last year, he could only dream of returning to compete for the top spot in Southeast Asia, because an Achilles tendon injury eventually forced him to undergo surgery and be sidelined for a long period.

"The biggest motivation for me to come back after such a long injury layoff is to always look forward and give everything I have to continue pursuing my passion for football," Van Hau shared.

Football is my passion. When I was injured, not being able to play was really tough and made me feel disappointed. But I always tried my best to return.

I received a lot of motivation from the encouragement of my family and those who always support and care about me. That gave me the determination to come back and keep playing football."

Van Hau's efforts were rewarded when he made a long-awaited comeback in the group stage of the ASEAN Club Championship Shopee Cup, playing for Cong An Ha Noi FC in a 1-1 draw with Thailand's Buriram United FC.

More than three months later, he returned to the national team, playing 45 minutes in a friendly against Bangladesh. It was the first time Van Hau had worn the Vietnam national team jersey since June 2023.

"For me, the first thing was simply to want to come back and play football," he said. "Even just being able to train again was a wonderful feeling.

Then, I was able to return and contribute to Cong An Ha Noi, and fortunately I could also return to contribute to the Vietnam national team. I hope I can continue playing football for as long as possible.

Van Hau returned to the national team in March, a month before his 27th birthday. The left-back has experienced many highlights in his career, alongside difficult periods.

He was just 19 when he won the Southeast Asian championship with Vietnam in 2018, before a short stint in the Netherlands, joining Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen on loan from his former club Ha Noi FC.

After winning two consecutive V.League 1 titles with Ha Noi FC in 2018 and 2019, then adding a third title in 2022, with a knee injury forcing him to miss a year in between, Van Hau moved to Cong An Ha Noi. There, he won the national championship in 2023 and continued to triumph in the recently concluded season.

Now, Van Hau is aiming for his second Southeast Asian championship title in his career. Ahead are two legs against Malaysia, after Vietnam topped Group A, ahead of Singapore – who held Vietnam to a 0-0 draw – and Indonesia.

"I think the team played very well in some matches, although there were also matches where we didn't perform as well as we hoped," Van Hau said. "But the most important thing is that we got through the group stage.

For example, in the match against Singapore, we really wanted to win but unfortunately things didn't go as planned. However, after that match, the whole team came back with a winning spirit when facing Indonesia.

"I think that was the turning point in the group stage. Playing away is never easy. We had great respect for Indonesia and entered the match with the highest determination, aiming for victory.

Fortunately, we got the result we wanted and won 3-0."

The Vietnam team's objective in the first leg and then the second leg in Hanoi on Wednesday is to achieve a favorable result against Malaysia to advance to another final. But even if the team doesn't achieve that goal, Van Hau can still view the outcome from a different perspective after everything he has been through.

"For me, just being able to step onto the field and play is already wonderful," he said. "Playing in a final is also a great experience.

Win or lose, I hope the fans will always be behind the team and support us. That gives the players the spirit to step onto the field and fight with everything they have, regardless of the final result.

Of course, every player wants to win, but football doesn't always go that way. Sometimes you will lose. The important thing is that you have given everything for the national team and for the colors of your country."