In the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, striker Thanh Nhàn, born in 2003, shone brightly, scoring the decisive goal that helped Vietnam defeat Yemen and secure a place in the finals as the top team in Group C.
A goal that relieved the pressure.
Nguyen Thanh Nhan is a key player for PVF-CAND Club, having missed numerous international tournaments due to injuries. Ahead of the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, Thanh Nhan was expected to be a crucial element in the Vietnamese U23 attack, but had to withdraw early after suffering a ligament injury in his left ankle during a training session with the team.
Nguyen Thanh Nhan (22) is a promising striker of Vietnam U23 (Photo: THAO HOANG)
This is not the first time this young striker has missed an opportunity to contribute to the national team. Due to an unexpected injury, Thanh Nhàn had to miss the 2023 Asian Cup, was unable to play in the bronze medal match at the 32nd SEA Games, and also lost his place in the 2024 U23 Asian Championship.
Before joining the Vietnam U23 team for the 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, the player from Tay Ninh had just recovered from injury and was only a backup option in the attack. In the "final" match against Yemen U23 on September 9th, Thanh Nhan came on as a substitute and quickly shone.
In the 70th minute, as his teammates were running out of steam and the attack was struggling against the solid defense of U23 Yemen, Thanh Nhàn exchanged passes with Văn Thuận on the right wing and unleashed a powerful shot that nestled neatly into the Yemen net.
"After missing the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship due to injury, I am very happy and delighted to have scored for the Vietnam U23 team in the 2026 Asian U23 Championship qualifiers. This goal also helped me relieve pressure and gave me more motivation to strive harder in the national team's jersey," Thanh Nhàn expressed.
Effective goal-scoring skills
Nguyen Thanh Nhan began his football career playing in youth tournaments in Tay Ninh. In 2019, Thanh Nhan made an impression at the National U17 Championship, and in 2020 he was invited by coach Philippe Troussier to join the PVF Center.
Here, Thanh Nhàn scored 5 goals, contributing to PVF winning the 2020 U17 national championship, two consecutive U19 national championships (2020, 2021), and also winning the Best Player award at the 2021 U19 national championship with 7 goals.
In 2022, Thanh Nhàn made his debut for Pho Hien's first team in the National First Division, scoring 10 goals in 20 matches and becoming the league's top scorer. In the 2023 First Division season, despite playing with an injury, he still scored 10 goals, continuing to win the top scorer title and helping PVF-CAND finish as runners-up. In addition, Thanh Nhàn's effective goal-scoring skills also contributed to his team reaching the semi-finals of the National Cup for the first time in 2023.
Thanh Nhàn previously played for the Vietnam U20 team at the 2023 U20 Asian Championship and won a bronze medal with the national U22 team at the 2023 SEA Games. At the highest level of the national team, the player, who is under contract with PVF-CAND, made his debut for the Vietnam national team when playing against Iraq in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. He was called up by coach Troussier to prepare for the 2023 Asian Cup but had to withdraw due to injury.
Player rotation strategy
By defeating U23 Yemen in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, Vietnamese football has qualified for the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals for the sixth consecutive time, since the tournament was first held under this name in 2016. Historically, the most impressive achievement of the Vietnamese U23 team was finishing as runners-up in Changzhou (China) in 2018, under the guidance of coach Park Hang-seo.
The Vietnam U23 team got off to a smooth start in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, winning 2-0 against Bangladesh U23. They then beat Singapore U23 1-0, before concluding their campaign with a single goal against Yemen U23. All three matches took place at Viet Tri Stadium ( Phu Tho province ), where coach Kim Sang-sik's team showcased a diverse playing style, effective squad rotation, and quick tactical adaptation.
With a perfect 9 points and a clean sheet, the Vietnam U23 team demonstrated consistent performance at the youth level, further solidifying their leading position in the region and extending their impressive run of results in continental competitions. Coach Kim showcased his tactical prowess and shrewdness in utilizing personnel appropriately for each match situation.
Constantly rotating players and distributing the squad evenly also helps the entire team minimize injuries and allows sufficient time for physical recovery to continue playing at a high intensity.
The South Korean strategist's keen ability to read the game also helped him make timely adjustments and changes to his tactics, yielding positive results. These tactical elements enabled the Vietnam U23 team to control the game and score at crucial moments.
"Since 2016, the Vietnam U23 team has never missed the AFC U23 Asian Championship. The tournament, held in Saudi Arabia, will be an opportunity for coach Kim Sang-sik's team to continue creating surprises, just like their predecessors did in 2018."
Source: https://nld.com.vn/vuot-chan-thuong-thanh-nhan-toa-sang-196250910214326902.htm
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