Expectations of preparation

VHO - The Vietnam U23 team has just determined its opponents in Group A of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, which will take place in the first half of January next year in Saudi Arabia. The challenge is huge, but coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will certainly try to prepare as thoroughly as possible for their sixth consecutive appearance at the continent's number one youth football tournament.

U23 Vietnam will strive to prepare well for the U23 Asian Cup and SEA Games 33.

Difficult challenge

U23 Vietnam was seeded in Group 2, the draw placed the team in Group A with hosts Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan. The challenge for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team is not simple as they have to compete for one of the two leading positions in the quarter-finals.

At first glance, group A seems to be "easier" than the other groups (group B has defending champion Japan, Qatar, UAE , Syria; group C includes Uzbekistan, South Korea , Iran, Lebanon; group D has Iraq, Australia, Thailand, China), but in fact this is a highly competitive group with many potential surprises.

U23 Saudi Arabia not only has home field advantage, they are considered one of the top candidates for the championship. This team has twice finished second in 2013 and 2020, won the championship in 2022 (defeating U23 Vietnam in the quarterfinals), and most recently reached the quarterfinals in 2024.

With their current strength, U23 Saudi Arabia is the number 1 candidate for the top spot in Group A. U23 Jordan won third place in 2013 and reached the quarter-finals twice in 2016 and 2020. In the qualifying round, U23 Jordan won the top spot in the group with 3 wins. Notably, Jordanian football, both at the national team and youth levels, has made great progress recently.

While U23 Kyrgyzstan, despite participating in the finals for the first time, is showing strong progress with technical play and has won a ticket as the leader of the group with the participation of the current runner-up U23 Uzbekistan in the qualifying round. It is said that the group is highly competitive, because in addition to U23 Saudi Arabia as the host, all 3 teams U23 Vietnam, U23 Jordan and U23 Kyrgyzstan have achieved a perfect record and are leading the group in the qualifying round. The race for the 2 tickets to the next round in this group is predicted to be unpredictable and attractive.

Preparation is still the most important step.

The 2026 AFC U23 Championship Finals is the most important goal of Vietnamese youth football next year. Before that, U23 Vietnam will also compete at the 33rd SEA Games. The two tournaments are only 1 month apart, so the preparation work of U23 Vietnam has been proactively implemented by the Vietnam Football Federation and the Coaching Board very early, including adjusting the schedule of national professional tournaments to suit the team's schedule.

In particular, in the upcoming preparation period, U23 Vietnam will have a training trip in the UAE from October 7. The UAE has long been considered a familiar destination for many Asian football teams thanks to its modern facilities, professional football environment and harsh climate relatively similar to Saudi Arabia, the host country of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

Training here not only helps players improve their physical strength in harsh weather conditions but also creates opportunities to compete with quality teams from the Middle East. Playing 2 quality friendly matches with U23 Qatar - a team with players with similar physique and playing style to U23 Saudi Arabia and U23 Jordan, will be of great help to U23 Vietnam players in the preparation process.

Next, in November, U23 Vietnam will participate in an international tournament in China, where they will compete with U23 China and two other strong U23 teams from the continent. This trip promises to be an important opportunity for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to continue to practice tactics, perfect the squad and gain experience before reaching big goals. Not only stopping at professional factors, international training trips also help U23 Vietnam players gain experience, improve their competitive spirit and forge team cohesion.

When entering the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, a tournament that brings together the continent's top teams, these experiences will become valuable assets for the team to be more confident against all opponents. It can be said that the training plan in the UAE and China is an important step, demonstrating the careful preparation of U23 Vietnam before major tournaments.

On the journey towards the 2026 AFC U23 Championship and the 33rd SEA Games, U23 Vietnam not only prepares with systematic training plans, but also carries great faith from fans and experts. That faith becomes the motivation for young players to strive to overcome challenges. Although the opponents in the continent have many big names, Vietnamese fans always stand behind, giving the team great encouragement.

Confidence also comes from history - where Vietnamese youth football has created miracles many times, from Changzhou (China) 2018 to impressive victories in recent tournaments. That is the belief in the generation of young, ambitious players, in the thorough preparation of the coaching staff, and in the steadfast companionship of millions of fans.

With that belief, U23 Vietnam will try to prepare well in all aspects to step onto the continental stage with confidence, courage and readiness to create surprises.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/ky-vong-vao-su-chuan-bi-172678.html