U23 Vietnam aims for big goals

At the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament, the Vietnam U23 team left a mark when they reached the final for the third time. VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan was present to encourage the Vietnam U23 players before the final match. In which, Mr. Tuan praised the impressive performance of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team, with 2 wins in the group stage, passing the semi-finals to win the right to play in the final match. President Tran Quoc Tuan emphasized that the results achieved showed the progress of the whole team, and hoped that through that, it would also help the players gain more confidence and courage.

u23.jpeg -0 — U23 Vietnam at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament. Photo: VFF

The mark of Vietnamese youth football has brought a big push for us to aim for the next goals. After this tournament, coach Kim Sang-sik and the coaching staff will have a lot of work to do to supplement the shortcomings of U23 Vietnam. That is the story of personnel and tactics. Improving the strength of the attack is certainly something that needs attention in the two upcoming tournaments.

The next goal of U23 Vietnam is to win a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will have to pass the qualifying round next September. According to the draw results, U23 Vietnam will be in Group C, facing opponents U23 Yemen, U23 Singapore and U23 Bangladesh. This is considered a group that is suitable for Kim Sang-sik's team. Vietnam will be one of the host countries for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers. The home field advantage will help U23 Vietnam aim for the best results.

The 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers will feature 44 teams, divided into 11 groups of four teams each. Matches will be played in a round-robin format at each host venue from September 1 to September 9, 2025. The 11 group winners and four best runners-up will qualify for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Finals, along with hosts Saudi Arabia.

The big goal for U23 Vietnam in 2025 is to win the 33rd SEA Games Gold Medal. We have won the highest title at the SEA Games in 2019 and 2022. That was the time when the Organizing Committee still maintained the slots for overage players. Under the guidance of coach Park Hang-seo, Vietnamese men's football has stepped onto the podium of glory at two Games.

At the 32nd SEA Games held in Cambodia in 2023, coach Troussier was unable to help U23 Vietnam reach the final match. We stopped at the semi-finals and only got the bronze medal after winning the 3-4 match.

For the upcoming 33rd SEA Games, Vietnamese men's football is also carefully prepared to achieve the highest goal. Right from the beginning of 2025, VFF also identified that the Vietnam U23 team will carry an important task when participating in the SEA Games at the end of the year in Thailand. Towards this goal, since 2024, VFF has worked closely with head coach Kim Sang-sik to prepare the force. Many promising young players have been regularly summoned to compete at the national team level. These are key factors that promise to create a solid framework for Vietnam U23 at the SEA Games. In addition, in 2024, the Vietnam U22 team will also be given the opportunity to participate in an international tournament in China, where the team will face strong opponents such as China, Uzbekistan and Japan, thereby accumulating valuable lessons, contributing to improving their level and preparing for the future.

VFF President Tran Quoc Tuan affirmed that with strong investment efforts and the right strategy, Vietnamese youth football will not only create a solid foundation but also ensure stability and long-term development for the national team in the future.

2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Finals Draw Results
The draw ceremony for the 2026 Asian Women's Football Championship was held at Sydney Town Hall, Australia on the afternoon of July 29, 2025. As a result, the Vietnamese women's team is in Group C with opponents Japan, India and Taiwan (China).
Directly witnessing the lucky draw that put the Vietnamese women's team in an interesting group, coach Mai Duc Chung said: "In my opinion, Japan is still the strongest team in Asia. I think they will win first place in Group C. The Vietnamese women's team will have to compete for second place with the remaining two opponents, India and Taiwan (China). These opponents are all strong and will be difficult challenges. We need to be well prepared and have great determination in the upcoming final round."
Talking about the draw results, player Huynh Nhu is excited about the upcoming opponents of the Vietnamese women's team in the final round, taking place in March next year. "The opponents in the group are quite familiar to the Vietnamese women's team. Nhu thinks this is a group where we are completely capable of winning a ticket to the quarter-finals."
The tournament will take place from 1 March to 21 March 2026 in three cities: Sydney, Perth and Gold Coast – venues that previously hosted the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The top two teams in each group and the two best third-placed teams will advance to the quarter-finals.
With investment from VFF and active preparation for the tournament as well as determination from team members, hopefully the Vietnamese women's team will complete the mission.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/van-hoa/u23-viet-nam-huong-den-nhung-muc-tieu-lon-i776456/