According to the initial plan, U23 Kyrgyzstan and U23 China will play two friendly matches in the UAE to review forces and test tactics before entering the official tournament. In the first friendly match held on December 23, U23 Kyrgyzstan lost to U23 China with a score of 0-1, in a context where the opponent only played with 10 people.
The second friendly match, scheduled to take place on the evening of December 29, could not be held. The Kyrgyz Football Federation (KFU) confirmed that the cancellation of the match was agreed upon by both sides, on the grounds of ensuring fair-play principles, and considering that the two teams had a previous encounter during the training camp.
After canceling the friendly match with U23 China, U23 Kyrgyzstan quickly adjusted the plan. According to Chinese media, the Central Asian team has chosen the Arabian Falcons club of the UAE as the next "green army" to maintain the intensity of competition and serve the preparations for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
Meanwhile, the inability to play the second friendly match makes U23 China only have one warm-up match in this training camp, which is the confrontation with U23 Iran, expected to take place in early 2026.
In the final round of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, U23 Kyrgyzstan is in Group A with U23 Vietnam, host U23 Saudi Arabia and U23 Jordan. This is considered a highly competitive group when it gathers many physically strong teams with careful preparation.
On the side of U23 Vietnam, the head coach and his team were present in Qatar to enter the important training phase. Right in the first training session, the whole team maintained high intensity of movement, focused on physical strength and tactical coordination exercises, aiming to achieve the best form before entering the journey at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
The fact that the opponents in the group continuously adjust their preparation plans shows the level of urgency and high determination before the tournament, promising fierce competition in the upcoming finals.
