A new horizon awaits Vietnam U.23.

If they successfully win the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, the Vietnamese U.23 players will take a significant step forward in their careers and gradually become key players for the Vietnamese national team.

A CHALLENGE FOR COURAGE

To ensure the best possible preparation for the Vietnam U23 team at the SEA Games 33, the V-League has been temporarily suspended to allow clubs to release their players to coach Kim SaTng-sik. The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has facilitated friendly matches for the Vietnam U23 team against strong teams such as China, South Korea, and Uzbekistan in the CFA China Team 2025 friendly tournament. Hanoi Police FC (CAHN), which still has to play in the Southeast Asian Champions League against Buriram United on December 3rd, is willing to release Dinh Bac, Minh Phuc, and Ly Duc. Instead of joining the training camp later on December 4th, the three young talents have been allowed to join earlier by their club to be present for the opening match against Laos U23 on December 3rd – according to the latest schedule from the organizers after Cambodia U23 withdrew.

Captain Van Khang (right) and vice-captain Dinh Bac, along with the Vietnam U23 team, are eager to conquer the SEA Games 33.

PHOTO: DONG NGUYEN KHANG

It is known that Dinh Bac was the player who proactively expressed his desire to coach Polking of CAHN Club. With a burning desire to contribute to the Vietnam U23 team, he received a nod of approval from coach Polking. The Brazilian coach also shared with Thanh Nien newspaper: "I understand that wearing the national team jersey at any level is always the greatest honor for any player, and my players all want to fight their hardest for the national colors. Therefore, I agreed."

All of this points to one truth: the Vietnam U23 team in particular, and Vietnamese football in general, yearn to win the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team have already won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and qualified for the 2026 Asian U23 Championship, but it would be even more amazing if their achievements included a gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games. Coach Kim also admitted that he and the Vietnam U23 team are feeling a little nervous before this big campaign, and he enjoys that feeling. The 33rd SEA Games will be a tough test of the young players' ability to overcome pressure, and of course, for the coach himself, who has experienced so many ups and downs in his career.

LESSONS FROM MR . PARK

Since winning the 2008 AFF Cup under coach Calisto, the Vietnamese national team had not achieved good results. Ten years later, the "Golden Star Warriors" once again stood at the pinnacle of Southeast Asian football. At that time, coach Park Hang-seo utilized the core team that had just won the runner-up title at the 2018 U23 Asian Championship, combined with some players from previous generations such as Que Ngoc Hai, Nguyen Trong Hoang, Nguyen Anh Duc… to create a new cycle of success. In addition to winning the 2018 AFF Cup, the Vietnamese national team also reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 Asian Cup and the third round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers...

The U.23 Vietnam Committee has 2 members .

On the afternoon of November 29th, the Vietnam U23 team announced midfielder Van Khang as their new captain. Meanwhile, striker Dinh Bac unexpectedly became vice-captain, instead of center-back Hieu Minh as in previous tournaments.

Now, coach Kim Sang-sik and his U23 Vietnam players are on the verge of entering a similar cycle of success. Winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal would give the U23 Vietnam team a huge boost. Former national team player Nguyen Tuan Phong shared with Thanh Nien newspaper: "Right after SEA Games 33, the U23 Vietnam team will enter the U23 Asian Championship finals. Therefore, if they perform well during this period, the players will gain more confidence and inspiration to develop further. From there, coach Kim Sang-sik will have more options to refresh the Vietnamese national team, which is much needed. I think 'rejuvenating' the team is a reasonable move. Many U23 players like Vi Hao, Van Khang, Thanh Nhan, Hieu Minh… are capable of playing for the national team. Coach Kim can consider making changes in some positions where the team is still weak."

The Vietnamese national team is currently experiencing some inconsistencies. We failed in the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and haven't had truly convincing performances in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. When the Vietnamese team won the 2024 AFF Cup, many believed that coach Kim Sang-sik was lucky to have such an outstanding player like Xuan Son. Now is the right time for the South Korean coach to prove his talent by achieving new successes, building on the foundation of the current U23 players.

The SEA Games 33 gold medal is not just a mere achievement, but a crucial step towards a new era of success for Vietnamese football. If they conquer the SEA Games, the U23 players will gain a "passport" to confidently join the Vietnamese national team. At that point, Coach Kim Sang-sik will also prove that the trust placed in him is well-deserved. A new horizon is opening for Vietnamese football, but the prerequisite for stepping through that door is the winning mentality at the regional sporting event.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chan-troi-moi-doi-u23-viet-nam-185251129221404684.htm