Timor Leste Coach: 'Vietnam Team Is Not Only Strong Because of 3 Naturalized Players'

Ahead of the clash with the Vietnam national team in the group stage of the Asean Cup 2026, Timor Leste's head coachJose Pedro expressed great respect for the reigning champions, the Vietnam team.

The coach believes that Vietnam's strength comes not only from the three naturalized forwards but also from the unity of the entire squad, while affirming that Timor Leste will seek opportunities to spring a surprise through team cohesion.

During the pre-match press conference, head coach Jose Pedro admitted that his team faced many difficulties in preparing for the tournament, as they were one of the last teams to assemble. Nevertheless, he stated that this does not affect the team's determination.

"All teams in this group have their own preparations. We are a team that prepared quite late, but that does not mean the preparation was poor. Of course, we wish we had more time, but the whole team has done everything possible to prepare thoroughly, ready to enter the tournament and aim for a good start," Coach Jose Pedro shared.

When asked about the three naturalized players in Vietnam's attack, the strategist gave them high praise but emphasized that the strength of Coach Kim Sang Sik's side is not limited to these standout individuals.

"I have great respect for the Vietnam team. They are the defending champions and have proven their strength in the previous tournament. The three naturalized players are clearly factors that can make a difference.

However, in my opinion, Vietnam's strength is not just about these three players. They possess a very strong collective, from the attack, midfield to the defense. They are a well-knit and well-organized team.

Nevertheless, I believe the three naturalized players can make a difference at any moment in the match. Perhaps that is also why Vietnam chose to naturalize them, because they bring more value and help strengthen the team."

Besides praising the opponent, Coach Jose Pedro affirmed that his team's greatest strength comes from team spirit. He believes that unity helped Timor Leste overcome Brunei to qualify for the tournament, and that will also be the key in the match against Vietnam.

"Our greatest strength has always been the collective. We earned our place in this tournament by overcoming Brunei, and that was not the achievement of any individual, but the effort of the whole team and coaching staff.

We know we will face a very strong opponent like Vietnam. But since we are in this tournament, we want to compete, to develop, and to improve. Tournaments like this are opportunities for us to grow.

To create a surprise against Vietnam, we can only rely on collective strength. Even though Vietnam has excellent players up front, football is still a team sport. We want to play as a unified unit and deliver our best performance in the opening match."

At the end of the press conference, when asked about his favorite World Cup team, the Timor Leste coach did not hesitate to mention Spain as a model he wants to learn from.

"If I had to compare my team to a World Cup squad, I would choose Spain. Of course, I understand the gap between the two teams is still huge. But I am a fan of their style of play, from their organization to their control of the match.

I am not saying that Timor Leste can play exactly like Spain, but I like the philosophy of ball possession. In my view, when you keep the ball, you have more opportunities to approach the opponent's goal and create dangerous situations. So, I truly admire the playing style of the Spanish national team."