Five players not on the final list include: goalkeeper Pham Dinh Hai, Nguyen Hong Phuc, Ho Van Cuong, Nguyen Duc Viet and Bui Alex. Previously, coach Kim Sang Sik reduced the squad from 35 to 28 players after two practice matches with U23 Taiwan (China).

Among the eliminated players, Bui Alex's absence from coach Kim Sang Sik's list was surprising. The player born in 2005 was expected to help strengthen U23 Vietnam . He was born in Prague, with both parents being Vietnamese. Alex is 1m78 tall and is playing for the youth team of Bohemians Praha 1905 in the Czech Republic Third Division 2025.

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U23 Vietnam arrives in Indonesia with the goal of defending the championship title

Coach Kim Sang Sik highly appreciated the serious training spirit and efforts of all the players during the past time. However, because only 23 players can be registered, the Korean coach and his team must make the best choice based on the role, playing position and performance of each individual.

Vietnam U23 left for Indonesia on the morning of July 14 to participate in the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, taking place from July 15 to 29. In the group stage, Vietnam U23 is in Group B with Laos U23 and Cambodia U23, competing on July 19 and 22 respectively.

"Winning the championship in 2022 and 2023 is something to be proud of, but we don't want to put too much pressure on the players. Football is a team sport , and I always promote team spirit and discipline in competition.

I always encourage the players to see this tournament as an opportunity to grow and develop, rather than just aiming for results. The results, in my opinion, will be a natural consequence of that process," said coach Kim Sang Sik.

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List of U23 Vietnam

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-loai-bui-alex-chot-danh-sach-u23-viet-nam-2420808.html