Waiting for U23 Vietnam to win the opening match

It will not be difficult for the U23 Vietnam team to defeat U23 Bangladesh in the opening match of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifying round taking place at 7:00 p.m. today (September 3, FPT Play THTT) at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho).

The U23 Vietnam team will have the joy of victory - Photo: ANH KHOA

The Vietnam U23 team has won tickets to the U23 Asian Cup finals 5 times in a row, including 3 times finishing first in the group in the last three qualifying rounds.

And this time, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are expected to have no difficulty in winning tickets to the finals for the 6th consecutive time.

U23 Bangladesh unlikely to cause any surprises

The FIFA rankings of the two football nations clearly show the difference in level. Bangladesh is ranked 184th in the world , while Vietnam is ranked 113th in the world. Although the team levels are completely different, Bangladesh U23 can hardly be compared with Vietnam U23.

The U23 Bangladesh squad is mostly made up of domestic players. The most prominent are left-back Fahamedul Islam (19 years old) and midfielder Cuba Mitchell (20 years old) - who has British, Jamaican and Bangladeshi blood.

Fahamedul Islam was born in Bangladesh but moved to Italy as a child. He grew up through the Spezia and Sampdoria academies and now plays for Serie D club Olbia.

Meanwhile, Cuba Mitchell played for youth teams in England such as Birmingham and Sunderland before returning to Bangladesh to play for Bashundhara Kings Club at the end of July this year.

Although not highly rated, the Bangladesh U23 team has also prepared quite carefully for the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers. The team gathered from the end of July and then went to Bahrain for training.

Despite losing to U23 Bahrain 0-1 and 2-4 in two friendly matches, coach Saiful Bari Titu's team still gained a lot of professional experience to better prepare for the matches in Vietnam. Notably, U23 Bangladesh was the first team to arrive in Viet Tri (on August 30) to prepare for the opening match with U23 Vietnam.

We are very proud to wear the national team jersey on this special occasion. The whole team is determined to win to bring joy to the fans on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of National Day, September 2nd.

Striker DINH BAC

U23 Vietnam confident in the tournament

Unlike their opponents who gathered early from the end of July, the U23 Vietnam team only gathered and started training from August 30. However, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team are still highly appreciated for their preparation and expertise accumulation from previous gatherings, not waiting until now.

Coach Kim Sang Sik does not need much time to prepare for the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers, as most of the players summoned this time were with the Vietnam U23 team that won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship in Indonesia at the end of July.

Even the new addition this time, striker Thanh Nhan, was present during the preparation for the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship before having to leave at the last minute due to injury. Therefore, the playing style of the Vietnam U23 team can completely operate smoothly even with the addition of new elements.

Unfortunately, coach Kim Sang Sik has not been able to use the expensive Vietnamese-American player Tran Thanh Trung (Chung Nguyen Do) for the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers because he has not yet integrated. Without Thanh Trung, the U23 Vietnam team can still completely conquer the ticket to the final round.

But the Korean coach said that this player who played for Bulgaria U19 and U21 still has a chance to join the upcoming Vietnam U23 team.

During the days when the country celebrates National Day September 2, the victory over U23 Bangladesh is the most wonderful thing that the U23 Vietnam team has given to the fans.

In addition, a victory, even a big win, will also help coach Kim Sang Sik and his team gradually achieve their goal of winning a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This is also an advantage in the case of having to compare the goal difference with the most formidable opponent, U23 Yemen, when the two teams meet in the final round on September 9.

Expected lineup of U23 Vietnam (3-4-3)

Goalkeeper Trung Kien; 3 central defenders: Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, Nhat Minh; 4 midfielders: Anh Quan, Van Truong, Xuan Bac, Phi Hoang; 3 strikers: Van Khang, Thanh Nhan, Dinh Bac.

NGUYEN KHOI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cho-u23-viet-nam-ra-quan-chien-thang-2025090307510746.htm