On the afternoon of January 5, Vietnam time, head coach Kim Sang-sik and player Pham Ly Duc representing U23 Vietnam attended a press conference before the opening match against U23 Jordan. The match belongs to the 1st leg of Group A of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship Finals, taking place in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the press conference, coach Kim Sang-sik admitted that U23 Vietnam is not highly rated in this group, but the whole team still sets specific goals. He said: "U23 Vietnam is considered the weakest in Group A, but we are determined to enter the quarter-finals. We will play focused and show strong spirit against 3 strong opponents.
The Korean strategist emphasized the preparation of U23 Vietnam in the past time, especially the foundations accumulated from the regional arena. He said: "The players have prepared well at SEA Games 33 in Thailand in terms of organization, physique, and skills. The gold medal won at the congress also helped the team gain confidence.
Besides encouraging morale, coach Kim Sang-sik also reminded his players to stay alert when entering the continental arena. He assessed that the level of competition in the AFC U23 Championship finals is significantly higher than the tournaments that U23 Vietnam has participated in.
The Korean coach affirmed: "The upcoming opponents are all stronger and the environment is also more competitive than the past tournaments of U23 Vietnam, but the team maintains faith in good results.
On the player's side, Pham Ly Duc said that the whole team is ready for the challenges ahead. He said: "We will focus on playing well in each match and are ready to face continental challenges.
According to the schedule, the match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Jordan will take place at 6:30 PM tomorrow (January 6th Vietnam time).
