Vietnam U23 will head to the 20th Asian Games in Japan with a strong squad and ambitions of making a deep run in the continental tournament.
 

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Coach Dinh Hong Vinh has many of Vietnam’s best U23 players at his disposal. Photo: VFF

Contrary to initial plans to send a Vietnam U20/U21 side to the 20th Asian Games, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), together with coach Kim Sang Sik and acting U23 head coach Dinh Hong Vinh, has decided to select the best available players from the U23 age group for the tournament.

Players including goalkeeper Cao Van Binh, Nguyen Hoang, Ly Duc, Quang Kiet, Minh Phuc, Xuan Bac, Van Thuan, Quoc Cuong, Phi Hoang, Cong Phuong, Thanh Nhan, Le Phat and Quoc Viet were part of the team that won gold at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand and claimed bronze at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

The players also competed at the CFA Team China 2026 friendly tournament, facing strong U23 sides from North Korea, Thailand and China. In late July, the team held another short training camp to assess the squad ahead of preparations for the Asian Games.

Although Vietnam U23 will be without Dinh Bac and goalkeeper Trung Kien, who are joining the senior national team for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, the squad remains strong overall and has a clear objective: to make a deep run at the Asian Games.

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Vietnam U23 have reason to hope for a deep run at the Asian Games.

Vietnam have been drawn in Group C alongside Uzbekistan, the Philippines and Kuwait. Compared with the 2023 Asian Games, when Vietnam faced Saudi Arabia, Iran and Mongolia, this is clearly a more favorable draw.

The schedule also works in Vietnam’s favor. They will face Kuwait on Sept. 15, the Philippines on Sept. 18 and Uzbekistan on Sept. 22. If the reigning SEA Games champions can overcome Kuwait and the Philippines in their first two matches, they will be in a much stronger position to manage their final group game and secure a place in the next round.

With the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals, every group-stage match will be crucial to Dinh Hong Vinh’s side and their ambitions of going deep into the tournament.

Securing all six points from the opening two matches will, of course, be far from straightforward. Vietnam will need to prepare thoroughly and maintain maximum concentration in each game.

In fact, players such as Ly Duc, Quang Kiet, Minh Phuc, Xuan Bac, Thanh Nhan and Le Phat are mostly playing regularly in the V-League, with some having even earned call-ups to Vietnam’s senior national team. If the young players can approach the tournament with confidence and perform to their full potential, they have every chance of making an impact.

Dai Nam