HÀ NỘI — After their heroics in China, 13 players from the U23 national team have been called up to the senior side.

Included in the squad to face Jordan next week in the Asian Cup qualifier is goal keeper Bùi Tiến Dũng, who’s penalty saves against Iraq and Qatar took the young team to the brink of success.

A late extra time winner from Uzbekistan broke Vietnamese hearts, but now many of those young lions have been rewarded with a senior call up.

As well as the keeper, there are also shouts for midfielders Nguyễn Quang Hải, Lương Xuân Trường, Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy, defender Vũ Văn Thanh and strikers Nguyễn Công Phượng and Hà Đức Chinh.

But there’s not guarantee any of the young guns will start as they face tough competition for places from a number of experienced players.

Việt Nam national football team’s head coach Park Hang-seo has called 23 players to prepare for the match against Jordan in the qualifying round of Group C of the Asian Cup 2019.

Notably, the South Korean coach put his belief in young aces when he named 13 players in the national U23 team, who played in the AFC U23 Championship in China in January in which Việt Nam won silver medal for the first time in history, in this summons including goalie Bùi Tiến Dũng, midfielders Nguyễn Quang Hải, Lương Xuân Trường, Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy, defender Vũ Văn Thanh and strikers Nguyễn Công Phượng and Hà Đức Chinh.

The coach hopes a mix of youth and experience will help his team overcome Jordon – but the result is a formality as both side have already qualified for the next stage.

This is considered a preparation of Park for next tournaments for Vietnamese U23 squad to compete in the Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia in August.

Besides calling young players, the coach also named many veterans such as midfielders Đinh Thanh Trung of Quảng Nam, Quế Ngọc Hải of Sông Lam Nghệ An, Vũ Minh Tuấn

of Thanh Hóa and striker Nguyễn Anh Đức of Becamex Bình Dương.

As planned, Vietnamese team will leave for Jordan on March 24. The team will have two days to train in before facing the hosts at 8pm (Hà Nội time) on March 27.

If Việt Nam win this match, they will be added more than 100 points to rank in the world’s top 80 in the FIFA rankings which will be announced in April.

Meanwhile, coach Abu Abed of Jordan also announced his 23 players for the upcoming match.

Abed said to media in Jordan that they prepared carefully and were ready for the game. Several players, who took part in the previous matches, were eliminated because of injuries or not suitable with the present way of playing of the team.

The 53-year-old coach also highly appreciated the advance of Việt Nam team in the recent time and said the match would also be a chance for Jordan to prepare for the Asian Games this year. — VNS

The squad in full for next week’s game:

Goal keepers: Đặng Văn Lâm, Nguyễn Tuấn Mạnh and Bùi Tiến Dũng

Defenders: Quế Ngọc Hải, Vũ Văn Thanh, Đỗ Duy Mạnh, Bùi Tiến Dũng, Trần Đình Trọng, Lâm Anh Quang, Phạm Xuân Mạnh and Hồ Tấn Tài

Midfielders: Đinh Thanh Trung, Vũ Minh Tuấn, Lương Xuân Trường, Phạm Đức Huy, Nguyễn Quang Hải, Nguyễn Văn Toàn, Nguyễn Phong Hồng Duy, Hồ Khắc Ngọc and Phan Văn Đức

Strikers: Nguyễn Anh Đức, Nguyễn Công Phượng and Hà Đức Chinh