"In 2018, I was still in Gia Lai and watched the seniors' matches at the U23 Asian Championship. I hope I can do what the previous generation did. The Vietnam U23 team is trying to replicate the 2018 Changzhou achievement," striker Quoc Viet said about his goal, as well as that of the Vietnam U23 players, at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship currently taking place in Saudi Arabia.

On the afternoon of January 13th, the Vietnam U23 team returned to training to prepare for the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship. After advancing from the group stage with three consecutive wins, Quoc Viet and his teammates were in high spirits and full of confidence.

"We are thrilled to have qualified for the quarterfinals. The Vietnam U23 team will try to recover in the coming days. Regardless of the opponent, we will fight our hardest to live up to the expectations of our fans," Nguyen Quoc Viet emphasized.

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Striker Quoc Viet. Photo: AFC

At the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship, Quoc Viet played in two group stage matches, coming on as a substitute once against U23 Jordan and starting once against U23 Kyrgyzstan. He hasn't scored a goal yet, so he's determined to make his mark if coach Kim Sang Sik gives him the chance.

"The current Vietnam U23 attack is in high form, and everyone can give their best on the field. I hope I can score a beautiful goal if I get to play in the quarter-final," Quoc Viet said.

After the final matches of Group B on the evening of January 13th, one of the two teams, U23 UAE or U23 Syria, will be the opponent of U23 Vietnam. Commenting on the quarter-final match, Quoc Viet said: "We will definitely watch the matches of both U23 UAE and U23 Syria together to analyze them because they both have the potential to be opponents in the quarter-finals."

The Vietnam U23 team previously played against the Syria U23 team in a friendly match before the tournament. That 1-2 loss was just a practice match. If we meet them again in the quarterfinals, we will study and prepare thoroughly, improving our performance. Coach Kim Sang Sik also outlined a plan to ensure the Vietnam U23 team is ready to face them."

According to the schedule, the Vietnam U23 team will play their quarter-final match at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship at 10:30 PM on January 16th.

Watch the entire 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship Finals on TV360 at https://tv360.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tien-dao-u23-viet-nam-mong-vao-chung-ket-nhu-thuong-chau-2018-2481541.html