On the morning of October 7, the U23 Vietnam team officially left for the UAE to participate in an international training and friendly match. This is an activity within the long-term plan developed by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), aiming for two important goals: the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Cup finals.
Compared to the initial call-up list, the squad has 2 changes due to unwanted injuries. Midfielder Dinh Xuan Tien is overloaded with thigh muscles and striker Nguyen Ngoc My has a right Cervical injury, cannot continue to train with the team and will stay in the country for treatment.
The coaching staff has called up two additional players, Le Dinh Long Vu (Song Lam Nghe An) and Nguyen Le Phat (Ninh Binh).
Sharing before the departure time, Acting Head Coach Dinh Hong Vinh emphasized: U23 Vietnam is still implementing the correct roadmap towards the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Cup. In the immediate future, the team will have different levels of concentration to test and perfect the force.
For this October training session alone, coach Kim Sang-sik discussed very specifically about the expertise. The team needs to focus on passing the ball, keeping a reasonable formation distance and creating space behind the defense.
According to the plan, during the time in the UAE, U23 Vietnam will play two international friendly matches against opponent U23 Qatar, respectively on October 9 and 13. This is an important part of the training process, helping the team improve their skills and gain more hands-on experience.
Mr. Dinh Hong Vinh highly appreciated this opportunity: "Meeting highly qualified opponents like U23 Qatar is very useful. These two matches will help the coaching staff better assess their potential, adaptability and identify more quality players to report to head coach Kim Sang-sik, thereby preparing well for the next training sessions".
The atmosphere of the whole team before the trip was quite positive. The young players showed their determination and readiness for the journey ahead.
Midfielder Nguyen Van Truong said: In the past, the U23 Vietnam team has been given the opportunity by VFF to participate in many tournaments and quality international training trips. The whole team is preparing best for the two important upcoming goals, the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Cup. We will try our best not to disappoint the fans' expectations.
