Vietnam U22 is ready to make a breakthrough.

In less than a year, six Vietnamese national teams have performed excellently in the qualifying rounds and secured spots in the finals of continental tournaments, including: Vietnam U17, Vietnam women's national team, Vietnam U23, Vietnam men's futsal team, and Vietnam U20 women's national team.

Furthermore, despite currently being second in Group F, the Vietnamese national team has a good chance of qualifying for the 2027 Asian Cup finals as Malaysia risks facing heavy penalties from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for fraudulent player naturalization practices.

The impressive results mentioned above will provide motivation for the Vietnam U22 team to confidently pursue their goal of winning the gold medal in men's football at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December 2025. With their high performance and good results in international competitions recently, coach Kim Sang-sik's team is considered a strong contender in Group B to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Before this tournament, the Vietnam U22 team won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and qualified for the 2026 Asian U23 Championship with a perfect record in the qualifying rounds.

Vietnam U22 ready to break through - Photo 1.

The Vietnam U22 team has finalized its squad ahead of the SEA Games 33 opening match. (Photo: VFF)

At a meeting of the Vietnamese national football teams on November 30th, the President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), Tran Quoc Tuan, noted the new difficulties and challenges facing the teams of coaches Kim Sang-sik and Mai Duc Chung in their quest for the SEA Games 33 gold medal, including the trend of many teams in the region naturalizing players. Therefore, the coaching staff and players of Vietnam need to carefully study their opponents, develop appropriate tactics, and maintain maximum concentration during matches. The VFF leader also emphasized that each player participating in the Southeast Asian Games must be an ambassador for Vietnamese football, competing fiercely but always upholding the spirit of fair play and solidarity.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) expects the U22 Vietnam team, the Vietnam women's team, and the women's futsal team to reach the finals of the SEA Games 33, while the men's futsal team aims for the highest possible medal color after several bronze medal wins. With thorough preparation and determination, VFF leaders believe the teams will deliver worthy performances, entertain fans, and continue to affirm the position of Vietnamese football in the regional arena.

At the previous SEA Games, Vietnam won the bronze medal in men's football, while the women's team has won the gold medal for the fourth consecutive time and is the reigning champion. At this SEA Games, coach Mai Duc Chung's team has suffered losses in terms of personnel due to the absence of many key players, but they are still a top contender in the race for the highest title.

For the Vietnam U22 team, after arriving in Thailand on December 1st, coach Kim Sang-sik and his players will have two more days to finalize their squad and prepare for their opening match in Group B against Laos U22 at the Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok) at 4 PM on December 3rd. The core of the Vietnam U22 team will be a group of players who have previously played for the national team, including: goalkeeper Trung Kien, defenders Hieu Minh and Ly Duc, midfielders Van Khang, Thai Son, and Xuan Bac, and forwards Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan, and Quoc Viet.

A victory in the first match will help the Vietnam U22 team relieve pressure and gain more confidence before entering the decisive match against Malaysia U22 at 4 PM on December 11th to determine their qualification for the next round.

Vietnam U22 ready to break through - Photo 2.