Easy draw for U.23 Vietnam
The draw of luck has put U.23 Vietnam in a suitable group in Group C of the 2026 AFC U.23 Championship qualifiers. Specifically, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will meet two familiar opponents, U.23 Yemen and U.23 Singapore, in addition to facing U.23 Bangladesh.
In the 2024 AFC U23 qualifiers, Vietnam U23 was in the same group with Yemen U23 and Singapore U23.
U.23 Vietnam is in Group C of the U.23 Asian qualifiers.
PHOTO: AFC
As a result, the young team led by coach Philippe Troussier defeated U.23 Yemen 1-0 and drew U.23 Singapore 2-2. In the qualifying round 2 years ago, U.23 Vietnam was also the team that won the ticket to the final round the earliest (if not counting the host team).
In the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, Vietnam U23 will continue to have home field advantage. Not having to travel and not having to adapt to new competition conditions will help young players have more time to practice and hone their tactics for the qualifiers.
The 2026 AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers will feature 44 teams, divided into 11 groups. The 11 group winners and four best runners-up will advance to the finals next year, along with host Saudi Arabia U-23.
Unlike U.23 Vietnam, some other Southeast Asian teams are in a difficult group. In Group F, U.23 Thailand will be in the same group as U.23 Malaysia, U.23 Lebanon and U.23 Mongolia. In Group J, U.23 Indonesia will have to compete with U.23 Korea, U.23 Laos and U.23 Macau.
Coach Kim Sang-sik takes charge
Because the 2026 U.23 Asian qualifiers take place in September, when the Vietnamese team will not compete in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, coach Kim Sang-sik will directly lead the U.23 Vietnam team.
Currently, Mr. Kim has assigned the youth team to acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh, while the Korean coach focuses his energy on the Vietnamese team.
Under the leadership of acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh, U.23 Vietnam finished third at the CFA Team China international friendly tournament earlier this year. The team drew 1-1 with U.23 Korea, 0-0 with U.23 Uzbekistan and 1-1 with U.23 China. Some new players such as midfielder Viktor Le ( Ha Tinh ) and central defender Nguyen Nhat Minh (Hai Phong) were given the opportunity to try their hand.
Vietnam U.23 has been participating in the AFC U.23 Championship since 2016. The mission of coach Kim Sang-sik and his players is to continue to win tickets to the qualifying round. The AFC U.23 Championship 2026 qualifying round taking place in September this year is also a stepping stone for Mr. Kim and his team to practice for the 33rd SEA Games.
U.23 Vietnam has participated in the U.23 Asian Cup 5 times, with the best achievement being runner-up in 2018, and reaching the quarter-finals twice (2022, 2024).
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-gap-nguoi-quen-o-vong-loai-chau-a-thay-kim-se-nam-quyen-185250529152157437.htm
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