U23 Vietnam ready to compete with Qatar

(NLDO) - The Vietnam U23 team has left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to train and compete in international friendly matches.

Aiming for two key goals at the 33rd SEA Games taking place in December 2025 and the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Finals, the Vietnam U23 team will be given the opportunity to go to the UAE for training and international friendly matches from October 7.

The list of U23 Vietnam team members this time lacks many key players. The group of 8 outstanding players in the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers including: Tran Trung Kien, Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Hieu Minh, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Phi Hoang, Nguyen Nhat Minh and Nguyen Dinh Bac were promoted to the Vietnam team to compete with Nepal.

Meanwhile, midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien suffered from thigh muscle overload, striker Nguyen Ngoc My suffered a right adductor muscle injury and needed time for treatment, so he missed the opportunity to go to the UAE. The coaching staff has called up Le Dinh Long Vu (SLNA Club) and Nguyen Le Phat ( Ninh Binh Club) to replace them.

Sharing before the team's departure, Coach Dinh Hong Vinh said: "U23 Vietnam is still on track towards the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Cup finals. In the immediate future, the team will have different training periods to test and perfect its squad. For this October training session alone, Head Coach Kim Sang-sik discussed very specifically about technical skills. The team needs to focus on passing ability, maintaining reasonable team distance and increasing both offensive and defensive efficiency."

During the training period in the UAE, the Vietnam U23 team will play two friendly matches with Qatar U23, taking place on October 9 and 13. Coach Dinh Hong Vinh said that this is a valuable opportunity for young players to be challenged, helping the coaching staff evaluate and review the team's strength.

“Meeting high-level opponents like U23 Qatar is very useful. These two matches will help the coaching staff better assess potential, adaptability and identify more good players to recommend to coach Kim Sang-sik, thereby preparing well for the next training sessions,” Mr. Vinh added.

For his part, midfielder Nguyen Van Truong shared: “Recently, the Vietnam Football Federation has created conditions for the U23 Vietnam team to participate in many tournaments and international training trips with high professional quality. The whole team is making the best preparations for the two upcoming important tournaments. We will try our best to not disappoint the expectations of the fans.”

The training trip in the UAE is an important step in the comprehensive preparation plan that VFF has built for U23 Vietnam, to help the young squad continue to develop, accumulate international experience and aim for new achievements. This training trip is also part of the football development cooperation program between VFF and Qatar Football Federation signed from 2023.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/u23-viet-nam-san-sang-thi-dau-voi-qatar-196251007191502459.htm