Latest U.23 Vietnam match schedule, Coach Kim Sang-sik does not give power to assistant

Head coach Kim Sang-sik has announced the list of 35 players for the Vietnam U.23 team, preparing for the journey to defend the championship at the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament.

2 overseas Vietnamese players in Vietnam U.23 team

This is the third gathering in 2025 of the Vietnam U.23 team. This time, the squad consists mostly of talented young players from many clubs across the country, most of whom have been with the team in previous gatherings and have been tested in many international matches and tournaments, accumulating the necessary experience and competitive spirit for the road ahead. In the list announced yesterday (June 20), there are up to 8 players who contributed to the 2023 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, including: goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien; defender Nguyen Hong Phuc; midfielders Nguyen Van Truong, Khuat Van Khang, Dinh Xuan Tien; and 3 strikers Nguyen Dang Duong, Le Dinh Long Vu and Nguyen Quoc Viet.

Striker Dinh Bac (middle) returns after a period of injury treatment

PHOTO: MINH TU

Notably, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac has returned after a period of injury treatment. The striker born in 2004 suffered a broken fifth toe during the training camp in March and was expected to be out for at least 3 months. However, Dinh Bac's recovery process has been more positive than expected. This young player is considered the brightest discovery of Vietnamese football in recent years with good personal technique, diverse finishing ability and modern football thinking. He has also left his mark at the national team level with a goal against the Philippines in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and a beautiful goal against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup finals.

List of Vietnam U.23 team

Photo: VFF

Notably, this training session includes two overseas Vietnamese players, Viktor Le and Bui Alex. Viktor Le is a familiar face in the V-League as he is a regular starter for Ha Tinh Club and was once called up to the U.22 Vietnam team to participate in a friendly tournament in China. Bui Alex is playing for the B team Bohemians Praha 1905 in the Czech Republic's third division, and can play in many positions including attacking midfielder, winger and striker. Bui Alex just had his first try with the U.22 Vietnam team in the training session at the end of May and the beginning of June.

In addition, another notable young player is midfielder Nguyen Ngoc My, who is on the payroll of Thanh Hoa Club and is the best player of the 2023 National U.19 tournament. During the training session in March 2025, Ngoc My was also named for the first time, but missed the appointment due to a serious injury in the match between Thanh Hoa and Hai Phong in the round of 16 of the 2024-2025 National Cup.

The unfortunate absence in this training session is the case of striker Bui Vi Hao. This highly rated striker has competed in continental tournaments such as U.20 Asia, U.23 Asia and ASIAD. Notably, at the AFF Cup 2024, he was trusted by coach Kim Sang-sik to play as a starter and scored an important goal against Myanmar. However, at the end of March, Vi Hao suffered a serious injury that required surgery and is expected to take 10 months to recover.

According to the plan, the U.22 Vietnam team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. The team will practice until July 14 and will leave for Indonesia to participate in the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, taking place from July 15 to 29. In the group stage, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22.

If in the friendly tournament in China in March, the U.23 Vietnam team was led by assistant Dinh Hong Vinh, then in the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament, coach Kim himself will lead the team with the goal of successfully defending the championship title.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lich-thi-dau-u23-viet-nam-moi-nhat-hlv-kim-sang-sik-khong-nhuong-quyen-cho-tro-ly-185250620223328057.htm