French manager Philippe Troussier reached an agreement on Thursday with the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to become the new head coach of Vietnam’s national football team.

The agreement has a term of more than three years, from March 1, 2023 to July 31, 2026.

Like his predecessor, Park Hang Seo, whose contract with VFF expired on January 31, Troussier will coach both the national and U22 teams.

A ceremony for Troussier’s official appointment as the head coach is scheduled for February 26.

The 67-year-old French manager was considered the brightest candidate for the position as his profile strongly impressed the National Coach Council and VFF senior leaders.

He acted as strategic adviser and then technical director at the Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talent (PVF) Academy in 2018.

One year later, he was appointed head coach of the Vietnamese U19 team, whom he helped qualify for the U19 AFC Championship 2020. He left after his contract with VFF expired in June 2021.

Dubbed the ‘White Witch Doctor’ for his successful stint in Africa, Troussier has managed Ivory Coast, Nigeria, South Africa, and Burkina Faso.

His international career peaked during his spell in Japan from 1998 to 2002, when he helped them win the 2000 AFC Asian Cup and led them to the final 16 of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, making it Japan’s best-ever finish within the global showpiece at the time.

In 2020, the Asian Football Confederation named him one of the greatest coaches in Asian Cup history.

VFF’s first assignment for Troussier is to help the Vietnamese U22 team defend the men’s football gold medal at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia from May 5 to 17.

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