Vietnam is poised to hire Japanese coaches to lead its national football teams in an attempt to switch from striving for short-term achievements to heading for long-term strategies, with the first such coach expected to take charge next month.

Chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Le Hung Dung, said Tuesday that he had asked the Japanese football federation to recommend a qualified coach after he recently put forward a proposal to employ Japanese experts to help develop Vietnamese football.

Dung won 60 out of 62 votes during an election yesterday to become the VFF chairman for the 2014-18 term. 

“I suggested recruiting Japanese coaches because they come from the most developed football nation in Asia so they can help us develop a suitable style,” Dung explained. “We should also change our mindset that hiring a qualified foreign coach will lead to immediate titles, and those who win will be given big cheers while those who fail will get the axe.” 

Vietnam should be patient to work with Japanese coaches to lay out long-term plans for the development of Vietnamese football, he stressed.

The country will likely have a Japanese coach in April so that he can have enough time to prepare the national men’s football team for the 2014 Southeast Asian Football Championship – or the 2014 AFF Suzuki Cup – to be co-hosted by Vietnam and Singapore from November 22 to December 20, the chairman said.

Local football experts have expressed their consent with the VFF chairman when it comes to using Japanese coaches for national football teams.

Football expert Doan Minh Xuong said that Vietnam needs to change from “tactical policies” to “strategic policies” for the development of football.

Xuong, a football college lecturer, was referring to an obsession with short-term achievements by “tactical policies” while he meant a long-term vision for the other phrase.

“We should outline strategies for future development,” Xuong said.

He added that Vietnam should build a strong football background before selecting a suitable coach.

Another Vietnamese coach, Mai Duc Chung, of Thanh Hoa FC, remarked that Japanese coaches suit Vietnam because they come from a nation that has adopted the football styles of two powerhouses, Brazil and the Netherlands, which are believed to be applicable to the Southeast Asian country.