HA NOI (VNS)— The National Sports Administration yesterday announced the 26-man national squad for two Asian Cup qualifying games which will take place later this year.

Most of the senior players who played in the recent AFF Suzuki Cup were overlooked, with the coach choosing to select some young blood who performed well at the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper International U21 Football Tournament, U22 team members and an overseas Vietnamese player.

In goal, newly appointed coach Hoang Van Phuc awarded chances for two new faces Buu Ngoc of Dong Thap and Tuan Linh of Quang Ninh. Da Nang's Thanh Binh kept his place despite the AFF Cup disappointment.

Veterans Minh Duc, Dinh Luat, Van Bien have been omitted from the new-look defence, replaced by youngsters Thanh Hao of Dong Thap, Tien Thanh of Hai Phong, Van Nam of Nam Dinh and Quang Hung of Ninh Binh.

In the midfield line-up, 49-year-old Phuc called veterans Thanh Luong, Tan Tai, Van Quyet, Quoc Anh as well as Danh Ngoc, Manh Dung of Ninh Binh and Van Thang of Thanh Hoa. Strikers Cong Vinh and Quang Hai were left out of the front line, and Phuc called up Vietnamese Czech Mac Hong Quan for national team duty.

Quan was born in 1992 in Ha Noi and moved to the Czech Republic in 2000. He played for Tachov as a junior and at 15 was signed to play professionally for Sparta Praha, a club that has bred several world-famous players including Pavel Nedved, Patrick Berger and Jan Koeller.

Quan competed successfully in Viet Nam's U22 team in the recent Asian U22 qualifiers.

Phuc, who currently trains the Ha Noi T&T youth team, rates Quan's professional skills that the attacking midfielder had displayed at recent events

The national squad will gather in Ha Noi on January 23. The team will play in a friendly against Hyundai Mipo Dolphin FC from South Korea on January 31, before taking part in two qualifying games for the Asian Cup 2015 against the United Arab Emirates at My Dinh National Stadium on February 6 and Hong Kong in an away match on March 22. — VNS