AFC praises Park Hang-seo’s “lasting legacy” in Vietnamese football

The Korean tactician gained legendary status in the country after leading a golden generation of talents that excelled both at regional and continental levels, taking Vietnam to new heights in global football, it wrote.

While last week's 1-0 loss to Thailand in the second leg of the 2022 AFF Cup final ultimately meant that coach Park could not go out on a high following a 3-2 aggregate loss, he can depart his post with his head held high after what he has done for Vietnamese football since September, 2017, the article added.

The AFC reviewed his time at the helm of the national team, noting that in his first tournament, the AFC U23 Championships 2018, Park guided the Golden Star Warriors to their first final.

Vietnam went on to lift the AFF Cup 2018, showing the Korean tactician become only the second man, following Portugal's Henrique Calisto, to steer Vietnam to a title win.

The Vietnamese team continued to make a positive impression as they reached the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in the United Arab Emirates where they ultimately lost 1-0 to Japan after Ritsu Doan's penalty.

Park's team made their first appearance in the third Asian qualifying round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Although they did not compete successfully, they put in some good performances after defeating China 3-1 and recording a 1-1 draw with Japan.

In the article’s conclusion, AFC wrote that Park has now stepped down after taking the Vietnam team on a journey like no other. Indeed, these achievements ensure that he will forever be regarded as a legend in the Southeast Asian nation.