VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has the same view with the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) on reducing the maximum age of football players attending the Southeast Asian Games 2017 from 23 to 21. 

On November 5, the AFF proposed reducing the age of the football players from under 23 (U23) to under 21, starting from the 29th SEA Games in 2017, held in Malaysia. The AFF will make the final decision on this change at its next meeting in Sydney (Australia) on December 6.

Explaining the proposal, AFF general secretary Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad said the purpose of lowering the age to 21 is to give more chances for young players and to help Southeast Asian countries prepare for the 2020 Olympics in Japan.

The AFF’s proposal must be approved by state members, including Vietnam. The VFF general secretary said that two years are enough to prepare for the change.

With this change, member countries will have to invest more in younger players to have the best U21 teams.

If the AFF proposal is approved by all members, Vietnamese top young players Tuan Anh, Cong Phuong and Xuan Truong will be too old to attend the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia.

Nam Nguyen