Key striker returns, 2 overseas Vietnamese players join Vietnam U23 squad

Coach Kim Sang Sik has officially announced the Vietnam U23 squad for the upcoming 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Noteworthy is the inclusion of Đỗ Chung Nguyên and the comeback of Thanh Nhàn.

Head coach Kim Sang Sik revealed the Vietnam U23 team roster preparing for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Among the 24 players called up, a highlight is Đỗ Chung Nguyên (Trần Thành Trung), who currently plays in Ninh Bình and ranked in the top 3 Best Young Players in Bulgaria for the 2024/25 season.

Overall, the core of the Vietnam U23 team remains similar to the squad that recently won the Southeast Asian U23 Championship. Prominent names like Trung Kiên, Viktor Lê, Xuân Bắc, Văn Trường, Công Phương, Văn Khang, Đình Bắc, and others are still present. Additionally, the team welcomes back striker Thanh Nhàn after his injury.

In this training camp, Vietnam U23 faces their second important mission of 2025, the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, following their successful defense of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship title. This also serves as crucial preparation for the 33rd SEA Games. Therefore, the call-up list maintains the main core from the recent regional tournament to ensure stability in squad and tactics.

According to the plan, the Vietnam U23 team will gather and train in Việt Trì (Phú Thọ) starting August 30. In Group C of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad will face U23 Bangladesh (September 3), U23 Singapore (September 6), and U23 Yemen (September 9) in succession.

Most of the teams in Vietnam U23’s group are familiar opponents. Specifically, Yemen and Singapore previously competed in the group hosted by Vietnam U23 during the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers.

At that time, Vietnam U23 topped the group with 7 points after beating Guam 6-0, defeating Yemen 1-0, and drawing Singapore 2-2, securing qualification for the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup final tournament in Qatar, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by U23 Iraq with a narrow defeat.

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