The leading flag of Vietnam U.23
On the evening of January 14th, the Thailand U23 team was eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. The "War Elephants" drew 0-0 against China U23, finishing the group stage with 2 points after 3 matches. Thus, Vietnam U23 remains the only Southeast Asian representative in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals.
While Thailand's U23 team was eliminated early, Vietnam's U23 team impressed international media by defeating Saudi Arabia's U23, Jordan's U23, and Kyrgyzstan's U23 teams to lead Group A with 9 points.
Vietnam U23 became the first Southeast Asian team to win all their group stage matches at the Asian Championship, and also holds the record for the most wins in the 90-minute matches at the U23 Asian Championship finals, with 7 wins. Specifically, the Vietnamese youth team defeated Australia (1-0), Malaysia (2-0, 2-0), Kuwait (3-1), Jordan (2-0), Kyrgyzstan (2-1), and Saudi Arabia (1-0).
Vietnam U23 team advances to the quarterfinals.
PHOTO: TED TRAN TV
Looking at the bigger picture, the Vietnam U23 team deserves to be considered the leading flagbearer of Southeast Asian football in the U23 Asian Championship, having qualified for the finals six times in a row (from 2016 to the present). Of those, they have advanced beyond the group stage four times (2018, 2022, 2024, 2026), with their best achievement being runner-up in 2018. Conversely, the Thailand U23 team has only advanced beyond the group stage once (in 2020, when they hosted the tournament). Similarly, the Indonesia U23 team has only participated in the finals once, with their best achievement being fourth place (in 2024).
Strategy is key.
While the Thai U23 team consistently qualified for the finals but failed to break through the group stage barrier, and the Indonesian U23 team lacked stability due to its naturalization policy, the Vietnamese U23 team is a symbol of resilience, regularly appearing in the top 8 strongest youth teams in Asia.
Even with a squad that was less expected of success (in the 2022 and 2024 finals), the Vietnam U23 team still had good matches, such as a 1-1 draw against South Korea U23, or a 3-1 victory against Kuwait U23. The fighting spirit, tactics, and generational continuity are consistently maintained by Vietnamese youth football, regardless of the squad used.
It's not simply a matter of people, but also about development strategy and vision. Vietnamese football is currently on a 14-game winning streak across all competitions at the U.23 level, which is proof of this. For the Vietnamese national team, winning the 2024 AFF Cup and securing a place in the 2027 Asian Cup finals (almost certainly achieved) also reflects this resurgence.
When the U.23 team is mature enough to join the national team, combined with overseas Vietnamese and naturalized foreign players, coach Kim Sang-sik will have a comprehensive and formidable squad at his disposal.
Vietnamese football is making a comeback in Asia, with a solid foundation being built from today.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u23-viet-nam-mang-niem-hy-vong-cuoi-cung-cua-bong-da-dong-nam-a-185260115090810184.htm
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