Fans' deep affection for the Vietnam U.23 team
Last night, the U.23 team brought the championship cup back to the capital Hanoi! At the airport to welcome and congratulate the victorious team on their return were Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Sports Department, Mr. Hoang Quoc Vinh - Head of the High Performance Sports Department.
On the VFF leadership side, there were Vice President Nguyen Trung Kien, General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu, Head of the National Team Department Doan Anh Tuan, along with many representatives of press agencies, fans and family members of the players. The U.23 Vietnam team has successfully completed its journey to defend the championship and is dominating the regional U.23 arena with 3 consecutive crowns. Aiming for a new goal, coach Kim Sang Sik and his team will gather again at the end of August to participate in the 2026 AFC U23 Qualifiers.
Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong presents flowers to coach Kim Sang-sik
Deputy Director of Vietnam Sports Department Nguyen Hong Minh presents flowers to Vietnam U.23 team
Photo: VFF
Special audience of Vietnamese football
Photo: VFF
The championship cup arrives in Hanoi
Photo: VFF
Fans' special affection for the U.23 Vietnam team
Photo: VFF
Sports leaders, VFF welcome the team
Photo: VFF
The national team door is wide open
Before that, a large number of fans were present at Tan Son Nhat International Airport waiting for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team to bring the Southeast Asian U.23 gold cup home. "The atmosphere welcoming the U.23 team was not as jubilant as when the Vietnamese team returned to Noi Bai after winning the AFF Cup last year. However, my friends and I invited each other to welcome the U.23 team to encourage the young players who are the future of our country's football. The U.23 Vietnam team winning the tournament for 3 consecutive years, affirming its leading position in the region is very commendable. They are the future of our country's football", fan Ly Kim Ha shared.
The U.23 Vietnam team successfully completed the assigned task.
Photo: Kha Hoa
Smiling brightly as he walked out of the airport with captain Khuat Van Khang, who was carrying the championship trophy, Coach Kim Sang-sik couldn't help but feel happy when fans called his name and congratulated him. "I'm very happy to have just finished a successful journey with the whole team in Indonesia. It's a great joy to be warmly welcomed by everyone. I'm proud of my players because they played to the best of their ability to achieve their goals," said Mr. Kim.
The Korean strategist shared that through the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament, the U.23 players will gain valuable experiences, which will be very useful for each player in the journey ahead with important tournaments such as the U.23 Asian qualifiers and the 33rd SEA Games. "U.23 Vietnam has a talented and quality generation of players. I am building a playing style for the U.23 Vietnam team similar to the Vietnam national team so that the players can easily integrate. The door to the Vietnam national team is always open to U.23 Vietnam players as long as they constantly strive to improve themselves," Coach Kim
Sang-sik emphasized. With what was shown in the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament, opponents will analyze and evaluate the strength of U.23 Vietnam and have solutions to neutralize it in the upcoming tournaments. Mr. Kim said that was inevitable, so the coaching staff also evaluated and analyzed the strength of competitors such as Thailand and Indonesia to have a plan to prepare when facing them in the upcoming tournaments.
Desire to develop career
Happy and proud to be crowned Southeast Asian champions with the U.23 Vietnam team, the players did not rest on their laurels. Striker Nguyen Dinh Bac, who was voted the best player of the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament, said that the title he won was the result of the collective effort, so he wanted to thank his teammates. "This is the motivation for me to continue to strive to improve myself and contribute more to the club and the team," he said.
Midfielder Nguyen Van Truong shared that despite playing away in front of tens of thousands of Indonesian fans in the final, he and his teammates showed their bravery. "I see the Indonesian fans as cheering for me," he said. The midfielder also aims to play more in the V-League for Hanoi FC and will continue to train to be given the opportunity to play for the national team.
Goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien, who contributed significantly to the success of the U.23 Vietnam team, said: "I feel more confident in defending high balls, even when facing tall players of the U.23 Indonesia team. Not only me, but all my teammates played very bravely and confidently under the great pressure created by tens of thousands of Indonesian spectators. I am very happy to win the championship with U.23 Vietnam this time. This is the premise and motivation for us to aim for the goal of SEA Games 33 at the end of this year in Thailand."
Immediately after returning home, young players like Cong Phuong and Thanh Dat moved to Ba Ria Stadium (HCMC), ready to join the U.21 The Cong Viettel team to compete in the final match of the national U.21 tournament against PVF-CAND Club taking place today. These players are all eager to "burn" themselves out to develop their careers.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-ca-khuc-khai-hoan-don-nhan-tinh-cam-yeu-thuong-cua-nguoi-ham-mo-185250730224626246.htm
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