Full of fighting spirit.

As friendly as the Lao University team

Coincidentally, the teams from the University of Laos, University of Life (Cambodia), and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) all landed at the airport around 3 PM, with only the University of Malaysia team arriving on a night flight. Members of the delegations were assisted by security forces, customs at Tan Son Nhat Airport, and the tournament organizers, who arranged a separate lane for them to quickly complete immigration procedures, collect their luggage, and travel to their hotels.

- Ảnh 1. — International football teams were welcomed at Tan Son Nhat airport and assisted with transportation to their hotels on the afternoon of March 19th.

With the largest delegation on the first day, comprising 26 members, the University of Laos immediately won everyone's favor with their friendliness, neatness, and openness. Head coach Amphaivanh Chanthalavong shared: "My first impression is that the climate here is excellent, and Ho Chi Minh City is very modern. We feel very warm receiving the thoughtful attention of the organizers. This is a large-scale and important tournament, so we have prepared thoroughly, as our team is comprised of the best students from four major universities in Laos. In particular, our students will have the opportunity to interact and learn in an international tournament, with the participation of students from many countries in the region. We will try our best to deliver excellent and beautiful matches and strive for victory, achieving the best possible results."

Impressed by the warm welcome.

Upon arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, the first six members of the University of Life team (the reigning Cambodian student football champions) appeared very relaxed, noting that the weather here was no different from Phnom Penh. Defender Sogheng (a second-year student in the Business Administration Faculty) shared: "Flying on the same flight, I saw many Laotian university players carrying backpacks of the Laotian national team; they seem to be young national team players. This will be a formidable opponent. But we came to the tournament with a desire to win and conquer. I think the tournament will be of very high quality and exciting, especially after watching the two host teams from Vietnam in the 2025 THACO Student Football Cup Finals." Coach Kong Vechaka confided: "From the moment we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, we clearly felt the warm welcome from the organizers. This is the first time the University of Life team has participated in an international tournament. The participating teams are all very strong. Our goal is to try our best to win the championship cup, after the whole team has trained diligently for a long time."

- Ảnh 2. — International football teams were welcomed at Tan Son Nhat airport and assisted with transportation to their hotels on the afternoon of March 19th.

The first two members of the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) team to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City were Team Leader Muhammad Syafiq Bin Juffri and Head Coach Saswadimata Bin Dasuki. "We are happy to have received such a warm welcome at the airport. Thank you to the organizers. The whole team is ready with high spirits. We highly value the 2025 International Student Tournament. Participating in this tournament is a great honor. We are here with two goals: to dedicate ourselves to achieving glory, and to demonstrate our solidarity and camaraderie with other teams in Southeast Asia," shared Mr. Bin Juffri. Having just won the 2024 Singapore School Football Championship, the Nanyang Technological University team has prepared meticulously, training since the beginning of March, honing their skills, and playing friendly matches with local teams to gain experience.

Coach Bin Dasuki emphasized: "Every team participating in the tournament wants to win the championship. We will try our best in the competition, but more importantly, we want to show high sportsmanship , solidarity, mutual support, and contribute to the development of school football in the region. We are rivals, but also friends."