The squad, led by head coach Kim Sang Sik, arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 2:00 PM on December 1, following a flight lasting just over an hour. Upon arrival, the team was quickly processed through immigration and transported by bus to The Quarter Ramkhamhaeng Hotel in Bangkok.

Before departing for Thailand, coach Kim finalized his 23-man squad, omitting five players from the final roster: defenders Le Van Ha and Dinh Quang Kiet, midfielders Tran Thanh Trung and Nguyen Duc Viet, and striker Bui Vi Hao.

With a carefully selected lineup and well-planned preparations, the U22 Vietnam team enters the tournament with strong determination to fight for the gold medal. At the most recent SEA Games, Khuat Van Khang and his teammates had to settle for bronze.

After checking in and resting briefly at the hotel, the team held its first training session at 5:00 PM at RBAC University Stadium, approximately 20 minutes from their accommodation.

Coach Kim Sang Sik's squad is scheduled to have only two official training sessions before their opening match against U22 Laos on December 3 at 4:00 PM, taking place at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

With U22 Cambodia withdrawing from the competition, the men’s football tournament at SEA Games 33 now features nine teams divided into three groups of three.

Group A includes Thailand, Timor Leste, and Singapore. Group B features Vietnam, Malaysia, and Laos. Group C consists of Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

As a result, Vietnam’s match schedule in Group B has been slightly adjusted. Their first game will take place one day earlier than originally planned, while the second match remains on December 11. The semi-finals and final are scheduled for December 15 and 18 respectively, with all matches played at Rajamangala Stadium.

Dai Nam