U22 Vietnam "tests fire" with China, South Korea and Uzbekistan before SEA Games 33

The Vietnam U22 team will have quality friendly matches at the CFA Team China Panda Cup 2025. Photo: VFF

The tournament brings together four promising and high-quality U22 teams: South Korea, Uzbekistan, host nation China, and Vietnam. This also marks the third consecutive time the Vietnamese U22 team has been invited to participate in this prestigious tournament organized by the Chinese Football Association (CFA).

Not only is it the result of the memorandum of understanding on football development cooperation signed between the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and the Chinese Football Association (CFA), continuing to participate in the CFA Team China Panda Cup is also an affirmation of the prestige, professional capacity and stable performance of the Vietnam U22 team on the international stage.

In the last time participating in March 2025, under the leadership of acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh, the Vietnam U22 team played impressively with an undefeated record (tied with U22 Korea 1-1, drew with U22 Uzbekistan 0-0 and drew with host U22 China 1-1), thereby winning third place overall. Goalkeeper Cao Van Binh was also voted by the Organizing Committee as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

The CFA Team China Panda Cup 2025 is considered an important stepping stone for the participating teams, towards the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Finals. For the Vietnam U22 team, this is a quality international competition, helping the coaching staff continue to perfect the squad, test personnel and tactics, and is an important stepping stone before the sprint stage towards the 33rd SEA Games.

According to plan, the U22 Vietnam team will gather again at the same time as the national team's training session during FIFA Days in November 2025.