Asian Cup C2 clashed with SEA Games 33: Will U.23 Vietnam be in trouble?

The group stage of the 2025-2026 AFC Cup C2 season has 2 matches that coincide with the schedule of the 33rd SEA Games in 2025. Notably, there are 2 representatives of Vietnamese football participating in the continental arena, including Nam Dinh and CAHN Club.

2 group stage matches coincide with peak SEA Games time

Specifically, the last two matches of the group stage of the AFC Champions League 2025-2026 will take place on November 26-27 and December 10-11. This is the peak time for U.23 teams in Southeast Asia to prepare and compete at the 33rd SEA Games in 2025.

CAHN Club is one of two representatives of Vietnamese football participating in the Asian Cup C2 next season.

Photo: Minh Tu

The men's football event of the 33rd SEA Games will take place from December 3 to 18. The group stage will start on December 3 and end on December 12, coinciding with the final round of the group stage of the Asian Cup C2.

VFF and VPF have confirmed that two representatives of Vietnamese football will participate in the Asian Cup C2, including Nam Dinh and Hanoi Police Club (CAHN). Regarding CAHN, according to the list registered by the team last season, there are four players in the U.23 age group, including striker Nguyen Dinh Bac, midfielder Pham Minh Phuc, defender Hoang Trung Anh (both 21 years old) and goalkeeper Ha Manh Truong (20 years old).

How many U.23 players are affected by the match schedule?

Among them, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac is an important player for the Vietnam U.23 team, midfielder Pham Minh Phuc also played for coach Kim Sang-sik's team once at the U.22 international quadrennial tournament in China in March. The remaining two players, goalkeeper Ha Manh Truong and defender Hoang Trung Anh, are unknown and have never been called up to the Vietnam U.22 team.

Dinh Bac (7) is playing for CAHN Club and is a player in the age group for SEA Games 33.

Photo: Hieu Nam

That means when the U.23 Vietnam team gathers for the 33rd SEA Games at the end of this year, VFF and coach Kim Sang-sik can only negotiate with CAHN Club about the cases of the two players Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc, finding the best solution between the two parties, so that the two players can both serve the U.22 Vietnam team well and not affect the strength of CAHN Club in the Asian Cup C2.

Meanwhile, according to the list of players registered for the 2024-2025 V-League of Nam Dinh, coach Vu Hong Viet's team does not have any players in the U.23 age group. Therefore, Nam Dinh's participation in the Asian Cup C2 next season will not affect the plan to participate in the 33rd SEA Games of the Vietnam U.23 team. Thanks to that, coach Kim Sang-sik will have less of a headache in gathering players to participate in the Southeast Asian Games later this year.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cup-c2-chau-a-dung-chan-chat-sea-games-33-u23-viet-nam-lieu-co-gay-to-185250630121400043.htm