During the training camp in Qatar, head coach Kim Sang Sik was accompanied directly by assistant coach Dinh Hong Vinh, who had previously coached the Vietnam U22 team while coach Kim Sang Sik was busy leading the national team in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Before their departure, the Vietnam U23 team suffered their first setback when player Dang Tuan Phong's injury recurred during training, forcing him to rest and recover.
The team's roster during the training camp in Qatar consisted of 24 players, before the coaching staff finalized the list of 23 players in accordance with the regulations of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
Head coach Kim Sang Sik believes that winning the regional championship is an important stepping stone but not the end point. “Winning the Southeast Asian Championship is a very good achievement at the moment, but with effort and dedication, the players will not stop there. The Vietnam U23 team cannot stand still but must continue to perform well in higher-level tournaments.”
"At the upcoming U23 Asian Championship in Saudi Arabia, the opponents will be much stronger, so we need to improve our weaknesses through training sessions and debriefing meetings," said coach Kim Sang Sik.
The South Korean coach also expressed confidence in his players' abilities, based on their experience and positive performances in previous international friendlies. “Before the SEA Games, the players played friendly matches against strong opponents like South Korea, China, and Uzbekistan, and they all performed well. This gives us more confidence that the Vietnam U23 team is capable of playing well at the U23 Asian Championship. Of course, no opponent is easy, especially the host nation Saudi Arabia – the strongest team in the group. However, my players are becoming more experienced and confident, which will be the foundation for the whole team to work together and fight for good results,” Coach Kim Sang Sik emphasized.
During their training camp in Qatar, the Vietnam U23 team will play a friendly match against Syria U23 on December 30th to assess their squad and refine their playing style, before traveling to Saudi Arabia on January 2nd, 2026, to officially begin their journey in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.
In the group stage, Vietnam U23 will face Jordan U23 on January 6th, Kyrgyzstan U23 on January 9th, and conclude the group stage with a match against the host nation Saudi Arabia U23 on January 12th.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/u23-viet-nam-da-dat-chan-toi-qatar.html
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