Coach Kim Sang Sik explains the reason for eliminating overseas Vietnamese players from U23 Vietnam

Coach Kim Sang Sik considered carefully before deciding to remove Vietnamese-American player Tran Thanh Trung from the list of Vietnam U23 players participating in the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers.

One day before the opening match in Group C against U23 Bangladesh, coach Kim Sang Sik surprised everyone by removing Vietnamese-American player Tran Thanh Trung from the list of U23 Vietnam .

"Because the qualifying round rules only allow each team to register 23 players, I had to remove one person from the U23 Vietnam team. I thought about it and eliminated Tran Thanh Trung. But it's not like Trung wasn't selected," said coach Kim Sang Sik.

Coach Kim Sang Sik decided to eliminate Tran Thanh Trung. Photo: Hai Hoang

"Tran Thanh Trung shows very good football skills and determination for the national team. He has a very bright future in the national teams. But as head coach, I have to make a decision at this time.

I met and talked with Trung privately, explaining to him. I believe Thanh Trung will perform well in future tournaments," the Korean coach added.

Tran Thanh Trung, born in 2005, is expected to be a new factor in U23 Vietnam. Although eliminated, there are still many opportunities ahead for the Vietnamese-Bulgarian player.

Thanh Trung missed the chance to play for U23 Vietnam. Photo: VFF

Evaluating the opening match against U23 Bangladesh, coach Kim Sang Sik said: "We had a bit of trouble finding quality video of them, but it seems that Yemen is the toughest opponent in this qualifying round.

U23 Vietnam currently has the best squad, no player is injured, except Khuat Van Khang. However, Khang only has a slight pain, no major problems, can play in the match against Bangladesh."

The match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Bangladesh will kick off at 7:00 p.m. on September 3 at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho . Before this match, VFF will issue tickets for Group C matches - 2025 AFC U23 qualifiers directly from the afternoon of September 2 at the main gate of Phu Tho Sports Stadium.

Fans buy tickets to cheer on U23 Vietnam.

After the first release date, the direct ticket issuance at the counter will last from September 3-9. The 2025 U23 Asian qualifying matches have 3 denominations: 100, 200 and 300 thousand VND/ticket.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hlv-kim-sang-sik-noi-ly-do-loai-cau-thu-viet-kieu-o-u23-viet-nam-2438659.html