Intertwined emotion
Coach Kim Sang-sik took Nguyen Le Phat from surprise to surprise. With the youngest age in the U23 Vietnam squad (born January 12, 2007, Le Phat was disadvantaged in the competition for a position in the list to participate in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals.
His hopes were accidentally ignited when teammate Thanh Nhan was injured before the friendly match with U23 Syria. In this test match, Le Phat was brought on in the 60th minute and he was the one who scored the only goal for U23 Vietnam.
However, Le Phat is still not in Mr. Kim Sang-sik's calculations. The Korean strategist is determined to wait for Thanh Nhan to recover. The preliminary list of 23 names participating in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship of U23 Vietnam does not include Le Phat.
It is worth mentioning that exactly 2 days before the tournament started, another key striker, Bui Vi Hao, unfortunately suffered a fracture in the right calf. According to doctors' assessment, this rich striker must rest for 6-8 weeks to recover. Mr. Kim continued to adjust personnel, and finally named Le Phat to replace Vi Hao.
Motivation to prove
From the "supporting" position, Le Phat was unexpectedly included in the main squad of U23 Vietnam by coach Kim Sang-sik in the opening match against U23 Jordan. The appearance of the 18-year-old boy surprised fans. Many people thought that Le Phat was just a "supporting actor" like the way he usually had to sit on the bench at SEA Games 33.
However, everything happened completely opposite. Le Phat is the 4th best player in the U23 Vietnam squad, alongside seniors such as Dinh Bac, Hieu Minh and Van Khang. Against a U23 Jordan with outstanding physique, fitness and experience, the player born in 2007 confidently played football, without any feeling of psychological fit even though it was his first time starting in a continental arena.
He moved wide, put pressure, stretched the opponent's defense and created conditions for Dinh Bac to have more space to penetrate. Besides, Le Phat also actively participated in situations of high-level pressure, making the U23 Jordan defense confused, leading to ineffective coordination.
In addition, Le Phat himself also had 2 dangerous shots towards the opponent's goal. Against an opponent who was in high form, U23 Vietnam still played fairly. Even a young player like Le Phat was ready to create inspiring attacking situations.
From Nguyen Le Phat's image, U23 Vietnam also sends a clear message to opponents at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals: Football always has unexpected turns. When grasping opportunities, even if they are only fragile, the team will be determined to write a miracle story in sunny Jeddah.
