U23 Philippines confident before semi-final match against U23 Vietnam

The President of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) called reaching the semi-finals of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 tournament a “historic moment” and affirmed that the team will fight with all their might against U23 Vietnam, despite the difference in class and experience.

U23 Philippines confident before semi-final match against U23 Vietnam. Photo: AFF .

“We are very excited to be in the semi-finals. The whole team will move forward, regardless of who the opponent is. I am very proud of my players. They will know how to make the dream of Philippine football come true,” PFF President John Gutierrez said emotionally right after knowing that the next opponent of U23 Philippines is U23 Vietnam.

The Philippines U23 team qualified for the semi-finals as the best runner-up. This is the first time in history that the team has advanced past the group stage of the Southeast Asian U23 tournament.

Meanwhile, U23 Vietnam, under the guidance of coach Kim Sang-sik, entered the semi-finals as the top team in Group B, after two impressive victories over U23 Laos and U23 Cambodia. The semi-final match between the two teams will take place at 4pm on July 25 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Although U23 Vietnam is highly appreciated as the defending champion of the tournament and one of the strongest teams in the region, the head of PFF still expressed optimism and confidence in coach Rob Gier and his team.

“The miracle of reaching the semi-finals is not only a reward for the players’ tireless efforts, but also a big step forward in the strategy of developing youth football in the Philippines. We have gathered the best young talents, both local and overseas, and they fought with all their national pride,” Mr. Gutierrez emphasized.

The PFF President also called this a “historic moment” for Philippine youth football, as the team made its first appearance in the region’s top four tournament. He hopes this will be an important catalyst for Philippine football to continue investing in and developing its youth force in the coming years.

After the semi-final match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Philippines, the remaining match between host Indonesia and Thailand will take place at 8:00 p.m. the same day, also at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. The 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship is gradually coming to an end with fierce competition from the region's top teams.

Source: https://znews.vn/u23-philippines-tu-tin-truoc-tran-ban-ket-gap-u23-viet-nam-post1570887.html