NÓNG: Dinh Bac unexpectedly removed from Vietnam national team roster

Dinh Bac surprisingly absent from Vietnam's preliminary squad list, though he could still play in the friendly match against Bangladesh.

As previously reported, Dinh Bac received a two-match suspension at the national team level following a direct red card in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup third-place match between Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23. Since Dinh Bac is now overage for the next AFC U23 Asian Cup, this suspension will carry over when he plays for the Vietnam senior national team.

Thus, Dinh Bac will definitely be unavailable for the official match in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers when Vietnam faces Malaysia. However, fans hope he can be utilized in the preceding friendly against Bangladesh, where he could partner with Xuan Son to form a new striker duo for Vietnam.

However, according to CAHN's announcement, the club has eight players named in Vietnam's preliminary squad list for late March. Among these eight names, Dinh Bac is not present. This is quite surprising as Dinh Bac was expected to take on significant responsibilities for Vietnam after his explosive performance at the AFC U23 Asian Cup.

Even if not playing, Dinh Bac could still be called up to the Vietnam team to train with senior teammates, preparing for longer-term goals like the 2026 AFF Cup later this year. More surprisingly, to clear his suspension before the 2026 AFF Cup, coach Kim Sang Sik would still need to call him up but not use him in the upcoming two matches.

Dinh Bac's omission from the call-up is quite unexpected; despite a recent goal drought in V-League, he still deserves an opportunity and has no health issues. Vietnam U23 also gathers in March but prioritizes using the U21 squad for the 2026 ASIAD.

The eight CAHN players summoned to the preliminary list are Filip Nguyen, Le Pham Thanh Long, Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Quang Anh, Pendant Quang Vinh, Le Van Do, and two notably returning players: Dinh Trong and Van Hau. Among them, Van Hau is expected to reclaim the number one left-back position for Vietnam.

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