Vietnam U23 team is confident of conquering the top position.

In football, glory rarely comes instantly.

Many teams, upon achieving glory, have gone through long periods of doubt, scrutiny, and even denial. The journey of the Vietnam U23 team at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship is proof of this path from an ordinary team to a championship-winning team.

Remarkable growth

Looking at their current results – three wins out of three, a perfect nine points, and confidently advancing to the quarterfinals as group A winners – the Vietnam U23 team looks like a strong contender. However, if we look back a little, the picture was very different. Before the tournament, confidence in coach Kim Sang-sik and his team was never absolute.

The journey of the Vietnam U23 team at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship (Graphic: VE LOAN)

The grueling qualifying rounds, narrow victories against Singapore and Yemen, unconvincing performances at the Southeast Asian U23 Championship, and the controversial journey at the 33rd SEA Games all raised serious questions about the Vietnamese U23 team. Their playing style was scrutinized, their tactics questioned, and their personnel harshly compared to the 2018 Changzhou generation. Many believed that Vietnamese youth football was entering a period of decline.

In that context, coach Kim Sang-sik did not choose to justify himself or react aggressively. He remained silent, receptive to feedback, and persistently followed the path he had chosen. Even after winning the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games, that achievement was still downplayed and labeled as belonging to a "low-lying region."

The pressure weighs heavily on young players like Tran Trung Kien, Pham Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan… as they are constantly compared to players who have made history, such as Bui Tien Dung, Quang Hai, Hung Dung, and Cong Phuong.

However, it was from that very skepticism that a quiet transformation began.

I hone my skills

Stepping onto the U23 Asian Championship stage – a gathering of top football nations from East Asia to West Asia – the Vietnamese U23 team no longer resembled a "rookie" team. Against the Jordanian youth team from a country that qualified for the 2026 World Cup, against the unpredictable U23 Kyrgyzstan team, or against the host nation Saudi Arabia with its superior squad, Kim's players displayed astonishing composure.

Without panicking or resorting to a defensive, hopeful approach, the Vietnam U23 team controlled the game with tactical discipline and confidence in every move. Opponents fell one by one, and the "Golden Star Warriors" moved on with their heads held high. From a team considered average, Vietnam forced Asia to look at them in a different light.

Kim Sang-sik's mark

In less than two years working in Vietnam, Coach Kim Sang-sik has created values ​​that far surpass mere titles. The ASEAN Cup 2024, the U23 Southeast Asian Championship 2025, the SEA Games 33 gold medal… are memorable milestones, but the greatest value he has brought is the fighting spirit – an intangible asset that determines the stature of a team.

The Vietnam U23 team plays not only with physical strength but also with intelligence and discipline...

Under Kim's leadership, Vietnamese players take to the field with a calm, even cold, demeanor. Vietnamese football no longer trembles before Thailand; on the contrary, they have transformed away games into arenas to assert their dominance and claim the ASEAN Cup 2024.

At the fiery Bung Karno Stadium, the Vietnam U23 team crushed the dreams of host nation Indonesia at the 2025 Southeast Asian Youth Football Championship. And at the 33rd SEA Games, in Thailand, Vietnam once again affirmed its number one position in regional youth football with a gold medal.

At the AFC U23 Asian Championship, that composure was elevated to a level of skill, a trademark of the "Golden Star Warriors." Newcomers to the big stage like Ly Duc, Hieu Minh, Nhat Minh, Minh Phuc, Ngoc My… played with rare maturity. Combined with key players like Dinh Bac, Khuat Van Khang..., the Vietnam U23 team played not only with physical strength but also with intelligence, discipline, and a spirit of upholding beautiful football. That is why the team received respect and praise from experts and fans across the continent.

Coach Kim Sang-sik, with his keen ability to read the game and make shrewd personnel adjustments, transformed the young team into a unified unit. The victory against host nation Saudi Arabia, the "bogeyman" of Asian youth football, was not just a result, but a powerful statement: "Vietnam is ready to join the ranks of the new powerhouses."

Ahead lies a challenging quarter-final round. But based on their performance so far, fans have every right to believe that the Vietnam U23 team has moved beyond the stage of being "ordinary players." Now it's time for them to move forward, with the belief and spirit of conquerors, ready to extend their dream of winning the AFC U23 Asian Championship this time.

The progress of the Vietnam U23 team continues and is an inspiring story of belief and perseverance. Their starting point may have been ordinary, even met with skepticism, but with indomitable will and a visionary leader, all limits can be broken.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/u23-viet-nam-tu-tin-chinh-phuc-ngoi-vi-cao-19626011321505793.htm