Nguyen Le Phat: A 'unique talent' in the Asian arena.

In his second consecutive match starting under coach Kim Sang-sik at the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship, the youngest player, Nguyen Le Phat, continued to demonstrate his 19-year-old prowess.

At the 33rd SEA Games, coach Kim Sang-sik successfully made substitutions that helped the Vietnam U22 team finish off their opponents in the second half. The most talked-about heroes were Thanh Nhan, Van Thuan, and Thai Son, who helped bring home a convincing SEA Games gold medal. Throughout the historic three weeks in Thailand, Nguyen Le Phat was kept under wraps by the South Korean coach. Previously, when finalizing the 23-player squad for the 33rd SEA Games, Coach Kim surprised everyone by including this 19-year-old. Although he didn't play in Bangkok, living in the positive atmosphere of the team and receiving special attention from the coaching staff, Le Phat matured day by day. Then, when the Vietnam U23 attack lacked Vi Hao and Thanh Nhan was injured, Coach Kim confidently fielded Le Phat from the start in the opening match against Jordan. In his first match at the Asian tournament, the young man from Dak Nong (now Lam Dong province) played exceptionally well and effectively, surprising everyone. Unafraid of physical contact, he consistently won one-on-one challenges against taller opponents from West Asia. With his skillful and cunning first touch, this striker easily escaped pressing to initiate attacks for the Vietnam U23 team.