U.23 Vietnam confidently hunts for SEA Games 33 gold medal in Thailand

U.23 Việt Nam tự tin săn HCV SEA Games 33 trên đất Thái Lan- Ảnh 1. — Dinh Bac will be the main striker of U.23 Vietnam at SEA Games 33

U.23 Vietnam must win Group B

On October 19, the draw for men's football at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand (scheduled to take place from December 3 to 18, 2025) placed U.23 Vietnam in Group B with Malaysia and Laos. The host team Thailand is in Group A with Cambodia and East Timor.

The defending champions Indonesia will meet Myanmar, Philippines, and Singapore in Group C. The division of men's football into 3 groups will force the teams to aim for the top spot in their group if they want to reach the semi-finals (the remaining spot belongs to the second-placed team with the best record).

Therefore, the mandatory task of coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will be to top Group B, ensuring a place in the semi-finals, before calculating the competition with other championship candidates such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia or the Philippines.

Big momentum in an unpredictable race

U.23 Việt Nam tự tin săn HCV SEA Games 33 trên đất Thái Lan- Ảnh 2. — Coach Kim Sang-sik attends V-League to hunt for players for U.23 Vietnam

During his 5 years in office in Vietnam, Coach Park Hang-seo has left many historical milestones for Vietnamese football, including the first 2 gold medals in men's football after more than half a century of waiting through the SEA Games.

Mr. Park helped Vietnamese football end its thirst for gold medals at the 31st SEA Games in the Philippines when it defeated Indonesia in the final, before successfully defending its title three years later at the 32nd SEA Games on Vietnam's home ground, with a victory over Thailand.

Needless to say, coach Kim Sang-sik certainly wants to follow in his predecessor's footsteps to bring home the third SEA Games gold medal in Vietnamese football history, after winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship.

U.23 Việt Nam tự tin săn HCV SEA Games 33 trên đất Thái Lan- Ảnh 3. — Vietnam U.23 team aims to win gold medal at SEA Games 33

Certainly, U.23 Vietnam will have to prepare carefully to overcome many challenges in an unpredictable tournament, with the biggest opponents being the host team Thailand and the defending champion Indonesia.

In addition, U.23 Vietnam cannot ignore the surprises from other potential opponents such as Malaysia, Philippines (entered the semi-finals of the U.23 Southeast Asia tournament 2025) or Myanmar, which entered the bronze medal match at SEA Games 32.

But there is one thing Mr. Kim will make very clear to the entire team that, if U.23 Vietnam wants to stand on the highest podium, they will have to overcome all opponents. If they prepare best in terms of physical strength and playing style, and have the courage to show their full potential, U.23 Vietnam will be able to achieve the highest results.