U23 Vietnam's mission at the 2025 Southeast Asian tournament

Coach Kim Sang Sik has many tasks with the Vietnam U23 team in 2025 and beyond.

Vietnam U23 entered the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament with the ultimate goal of defending the championship title won in the previous two consecutive tournaments (2022, 2023). However, expectations do not stop at the regional cup.

The World Cup Dream Begins

The U23 Vietnam team once had a series of brilliant achievements in the region. In addition to the two most recent Southeast Asian championships, the U23 team also won the gold medal at the 30th and 31st SEA Games. However, not many young talents were able to rise up or stay to become pillars of the national team.

Among more than 50 players, there are only a few rare bright spots such as central defender Bui Hoang Viet Anh, Nguyen Thai Son, Khuat Van Khang, and striker Bui Vi Hao. Therefore, the task for the U23 Vietnam coaching staff will not stop at achievements.

Because after the Southeast Asian tournament, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team only have a little time to prepare for the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers - which are more competitive, and especially the key goal of the 33rd SEA Games in December in Thailand. In the longer term plan, the current U23 Vietnam team will shoulder the responsibility of the "World Cup dream" for men's 11-a-side football.

In early July, the Ministry of Culture , Sports and Tourism approved the Project for developing Vietnamese football until 2030, with a vision to 2045, with one of the important contents being that men's football strives to reach the quarter-finals of the 2030 ASIAD and will participate in the 2034 World Cup.

Therefore, the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament is not only a starting point for 2025, but also a springboard for U23 Vietnam to build a sustainable competitive identity, form a framework, and determine positions for the national team.

U23 Vietnam has a squad of players with a lot of international experience. Photo: VFF .

Hopes

After the selection process and training sessions, Coach Kim Sang-sik chose a squad that combines key players with international experience and young players who need to develop their skills. The squad includes familiar players from all levels of the national team, including: Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Thai Son, Nguyen Van Truong, Pham Ly Duc, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Dinh Bac, Quoc Viet, Tran Trung Kien, Cao Van Binh.

Besides, there are some outstanding talents developing in the 2024/25 season such as Nguyen Cong Phuong, Le Van Ha, Nguyen Duc Anh, Nguyen Nhat Minh, Nguyen Ngoc My. In addition, there is a notable face, Vietnamese-American midfielder Viktor Le. The tournament in Indonesia is an opportunity for Viktor to assert himself and make a clear mark in the national team, after shining in the U22 friendly tournament in China.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is careful in keeping information about the squad and playing style confidential before tournaments. This is also the first time he has directly led the U23 Vietnam team after a long time handing it over to assistant Dinh Hong Vinh.

The opening match against U23 Laos at 5:00 p.m. on July 19 is an opportunity for coach Kim Sang Sik and U23 Vietnam to demonstrate the playing style that has been carefully prepared over the past time.

Source: https://znews.vn/nhiem-vu-cua-u23-viet-nam-tai-giai-dong-nam-a-2025-post1569061.html