The Vietnamese U23 team that participated in ASIAD 20 is very promising.

Following the success of the U.23 generation including Dinh Bac, Trung Kien, Thanh Nhan, Thai Son…, Vietnamese youth football continues to prepare for new journeys with new faces.

TOO MANY GOOD PLAYERS TO CHOOSE FROM

Although the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) decided to send the U.21 team to participate in ASIAD 20 (Aichi-Nagoya, Japan), Vietnamese football experts and fans are not worried, because players of this age group in Vietnam are tall and strong, evenly distributed across many clubs, making selection easier.

In the goalkeeper position, this year's players are impressive in terms of physique and age. Notable names include Cao Văn Bình (SLNA, 21 years old, 1.83 m tall); Nguyễn Tân (Ho Chi Minh City Police, 21 years old, 1.93 m tall); Phạm Đình Hải ( Hanoi FC, 20 years old, 1.85 m tall); Nguyễn Vũ Khang (HAGL, 21 years old, 1.95 m tall)... Among these, Cao Văn Bình is expected to be the starting goalkeeper for SLNA in the V-League 2025-2026 season.

Dinh Quang Kiet has a physique that is superior for his age.

PHOTO: HAGL CLUB

In the center-back position, most players are over 1.80m tall, some even over 1.90m. Notable names include Dinh Quang Kiet (HAGL, 19 years old, 1.95m tall); Truong Nhac Minh (Ho Chi Minh City Police, 20 years old, 1.82m tall), Dung Quang Vinh ( Ninh Binh FC, 19 years old, 1.82m tall)... The most noteworthy player in this age group is Dinh Quang Kiet. He is emerging as a new gem for Chairman Duc and Vietnamese football. Possessing impressive height, he has a significant advantage in one-on-one challenges and aerial duels. Not only is he strong, Quang Kiet also impresses with his good situational awareness and extremely calm demeanor. This season he has played 13 matches for HAGL, 12 of which were full 90 minutes, showing the great confidence from the coaching staff of the team from the mountainous region. He also scored one goal, contributing to both defense and attack. As a result, Quang Kiet's value skyrocketed to 100,000 euros, quadrupling in just a few months, thanks to his consistent performance.

On the flanks, Vietnam's U.21 football team boasts notable names such as Nguyen Bao Long (PVF, 21 years old, 1.75 m tall); Le Dinh Long Vu (SLNA, 20 years old, 1.72 m tall); Vu Quoc Anh (Hai Phong, 21 years old, 1.77 m tall); and Nguyen Hoang Khanh (The Cong Viettel , 20 years old, 1.70 m tall). The highlight of this group of players is that despite not being exceptionally tall, they are very agile, possess good technique, and have the speed to be considered modern wing players.

From Bronze Medal at the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship to the Vietnamese National Team: Opportunities abound, but the red carpet isn't rolled out.

HAS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION EXPERIENCE

The midfield squad eligible to participate in the upcoming Vietnam U21 team includes many players currently playing in the V-League this season, such as Le Van Thuan (Ninh Binh FC, 20 years old, 1.73 m tall); Thai Ba Dat (PVF-CAND, 21 years old, 1.70 m tall); Nguyen Cong Phuong (The Cong Viettel, 20 years old, 1.78 m tall); Nguyen Quang Vinh (SLNA, 21 years old, 1.74 m tall); and Moi Se (HAGL, 21 years old, 1.72 m tall). It's encouraging that these players all have experience competing in both international and domestic tournaments, with Van Thuan and Cong Phuong recently being part of the Vietnam U23 team that won the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games and the bronze medal at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

In the forward line, the most notable name is Le Phat (Ninh Binh FC, 19 years old, 1.75 m tall). Despite his young age, Le Phat regularly plays in the V-League and contributed significantly to the bronze medal win at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship. In addition, two other promising young forwards are Nguyen Minh Tam (1.81 m tall) and Tran Gia Bao (1.80 m tall), both from the HAGL academy. Minh Tam is almost always a starter in the V-League, most recently scoring a goal against Ninh Binh FC in round 13.

Besides the domestic players, a number of overseas Vietnamese players are also highly anticipated. These include midfielder Tran Thanh Trung (Ninh Binh FC, 21 years old, 1.75 m tall); Khoa Ngo (Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, 20 years old, 1.65 m tall); Vadim Nguyen (Da Nang FC, 21 years old, 1.75 m tall)... These players already have Vietnamese citizenship and are ready to join the national team when called up. In addition, there are striker Lee Williams (Ho Chi Minh City Police FC, 19 years old, 1.88 m tall) and center-back Zan Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh City FC, 20 years old, 1.92 m tall) who possess ideal physiques and excellent skills, but both are awaiting Vietnamese citizenship.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) recently announced the list of teams that have qualified for the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 2026). In the men's football event, 16 teams that previously qualified for the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship will also participate in ASIAD 2026. This means that Southeast Asia now has only two qualified representatives: Vietnam and Thailand. At the recent 2026 AFC U-23 Championship held in Saudi Arabia, the Vietnam U-23 team won the bronze medal.

The 2026 ASIAD women's football tournament will also apply similar criteria. Specifically, the 12 teams participating in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup will qualify directly for the ASIAD. In Southeast Asia, only Vietnam and the Philippines meet this condition.

Linh Nam

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lua-u23-viet-nam-du-asiad-20-rat-dang-de-cho-doi-185260211193932098.htm