Football

Vietnamese U23 players will begin his continental tournament next month. Photo of VFF

Hà Nội — Việt Nam’s U23s are fired up and ready to roar again under new boss Kim Sang-sik, who has called up 23 hungry young stars for the upcoming campaign. Kim is targeting a place at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals in Saudi Arabia, aiming to at least match the nation’s best-ever run from 2018.

Seven years ago, an unseeded Việt Nam squad, led by Park Hang-seo, shocked the football world by beating the cream of Asia to snag a silver medal in China. They beat South Korea 2-1 in the quarter-finals and defeated Iraq in the semi-finals following a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw, before narrowly losing 1-2 to Uzbekistan in the final.

Now, a promising bunch of players is hungry to repeat that success.

Kim’s lineup features three goalkeepers, seven defenders, 10 midfielders and four strikers. Several players were key to last month’s Southeast Asian championship win, including goalkeeper Trần Trung Kiên, defenders Nguyễn Hiểu Minh, Phạm Lý Đức, Nguyễn Nhật Minh, and forwards Nguyên Quốc Việt and Nguyễn Đình Bắc.

Making waves is overseas Vietnamese midfielder Trần Thành Trung, who grabbed headlines by smashing the national transfer record with his recent switch to ambitious Ninh Bình FC.

Trần Thành Trung is a new face of the U23 squad, He will be closely checked by coach Kim Sang-sik to be fit for his campaign. Photo of VPF

Trung, born to Vietnamese parents in Bulgaria, was a consistent presence in Bulgaria’s youth teams from the U17 to U21 before returning to Việt Nam. He even earned praise from Barcelona scouts as a rising European prospect.

He was ranked among the top three young players in Bulgaria ahead of the 2024–25 season.

Although Trung has appeared in two matches for Ninh Bình this season, he has yet to make a significant impact, partly due to difficulties adapting to the challenging weather conditions.

"My team and I always closely monitor and assess the performance of players playing abroad, including Trung. We have carefully evaluated their abilities before calling them up," Kim said.

"In the next training session, I will assess them more thoroughly, hoping that the team will continue to achieve good results."

The South Korean tactician acknowledged that, although it was difficult, Việt Nam performed well in the recent tournament. That success, he said, would boost the players’ confidence and determination ahead of the upcoming qualifiers.

He added that to reach the finals, Việt Nam must prepare better, with players showing greater enthusiasm and resolve.

Kim and his staff have been preparing for the tournament since mid-2024, calling up numerous young players to compete under the national team jersey. His side also tested their abilities in matches against the senior squad and participated in a number of international friendlies abroad. All efforts were aimed at sharpening their skills, enrich their experience and improve their tactical awareness.

The Asian Cup qualification will involve 44 teams divided into 11 groups. Việt Nam will host Group C matches, facing Bangladesh on September 3, Singapore on September 6 and Yemen three days later in Việt Trì City, Phú Thọ Province.

The top team from each group, along with the four best second-placed teams, will qualify for the finals next January in Saudi Arabia.

Việt Nam and Yemen are considered the two main contenders for the group’s top spot, making their final group encounter decisive.

In the 2024 Asian Cup qualifiers, Việt Nam defeated Yemen 1-0 in Việt Trì, securing first place and advancing to the finals for the fifth consecutive time. VNS