Fox Sport Asia has picked two Vietnamese players as ASEAN stars in the Asian Football Confederation U23 Championship, the final of which will be held in China on Saturday.

Nguyen Quang Hai (left) is one of two Vietnamese predicted to shine after the AFC U23 tournament. 

Midfielder Pham Duc Huy is said to be one of the chief contributors to Viet Nam’s run to the semi-final.

Huy may seem to have the thankless job of exerting pressure on the opposition to win the ball back, but he has proven to be tidy in possession and is a constant source of energy.

He may not have the most glamourous job in the team but has what it takes to be a regular for the Viet Nam senior side over the next decade in a combative midfield role.

Midfielder Nguyen Quang Hai is the second player. Fox Sport Asia said he needed no introduction in Viet Nam and soon, none would be needed in the whole of Southeast Asia and Asia.

Despite being small in stature, the pint-sized forward is big in talent and heart and will go down as one of the heroes in the tournament, thanks to his goals against South Korea and Australia.

Hai, 20, is already an international celebrity and has established himself as one of the country’s hottest prospects after learning his game at V.League 1 giant Hanoi FC. Three other stars mentioned by Fox Sport are Adam Nor Azlin and Nor Azam Azih from Malaysia and Ratthanakorn Maikami from Thailand. — VNS