The Vietnam Football Federation has chosen one of the country’s most famous players Nguyen Huu Thang as the new coach of the national men’s team, ending weeks of speculation and debate over the much scrutinized position.

Thang, 44, is expected to sign a two-year contract with VFF to replace Japanese coach Toshiya Miura, who was dismissed last month following the team’s poor performance at the recent Asian Football Confederation U23 Championship.
His monthly salary has been said to be about VND200 million (US$8,930), the highest for a local coach. But VFF has dismissed the information reported by many local newspapers. Miura was paid $10,000 a month.
A VFF official said the new contract does not specify goals for Thang.
“However, our expected targets are a gold medal at the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia and the final of the 2016 AFF Cup,” he said.
A Ha Tinh Province native, Thang used to play as midfielder for Song Lam Nghe An from 1993-1999 and the national team from 1996-2000.
He started coaching his former club since 2005, with a brief gig at Hanoi T&T in 2009.
Thang helped Song Lam Nghe An win the National Cup in 2010 and V.League champion title in 2011.