U22 Vietnam aims straight for the SEA Games championship

Coach Kim Sang-sik's U22 team brought a series of achievements throughout the year to enter the 33rd SEA Games.

Looking back at the past 11 months, Vietnamese football can only be summed up in two words: "success". From the national team to the youth teams, every time they step onto the international stage, they complete their goals. And U22 Vietnam set off for the 33rd SEA Games with only one thought: to continue that winning journey.

The year 2025 opened with great success. On the first day of the new year, Vietnamese football won in Thailand to become the champion of the ASEAN Cup 2024.

That perfect start created a strong development rhythm that lasted for nearly a year: U17 women, U20 women, women's national team, U17 men, U23 men and men's futsal team won tickets to the 2026 Asian Cup, all as group winners. The tickets were won by real ability, not luck or circumstances.

After the stumble at SEA Games 32 and the turbulent period with Coach Troussier, the expectations for U22 Vietnam at SEA Games 33 are therefore greater than ever. In the meeting before the departure, President Tran Quoc Tuan and Vice President Tran Anh Tu fully conveyed their thoughts.

U22 Vietnam not only carries the expectations of the Vietnam Football Federation but also of senior leaders and millions of fans. The goal is to reach the final, but in reality, the destination that everyone is aiming for is the gold medal.

Vietnam's young players are growing up.

That pressure is also aspiration and belief. U22 Vietnam has the basis to dream big. This is not a slogan created by the spirit of the six teams that have entered the Asian Finals, but originates from the real ability of the generation of Van Khang, Dinh Bac, Trung Kien, Nhat Minh...

They proved their regional class by winning a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, and especially the resounding victory right at the "fire pan" of Bung Karno against U23 Indonesia to win the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

Losing the SEA Games 32 gold medal was a heavy blow, but it also created an unprecedented determination. The Vietnam Football Federation implemented a two-year preparation plan for the players participating in this congress. The pillars were given the opportunity to compete continuously in international tournaments, from the national team to the U23 team, creating a solid foundation of experience rarely seen in previous generations of young Vietnamese players.

SEA Games 33 will of course be more difficult, as U22 Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia all have strong forces and are equally eager. However, with thorough preparation, experienced forces and a series of successes over the past 11 months, the belief in U22 Vietnam is not an unfounded optimism.

This squad has overcome the biggest test of character, and now there is only one task left: to complete the journey with the gold medal that Vietnamese football has been waiting for for two years.

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