At about 1:40 AM, 26 out of 40 members of U23 Vietnam were present at Jeddah International Airport to complete procedures to return home. Coach Kim Sang-sik and his team will transit through Qatar before landing in Vietnam on the same evening.
Previously, U23 Vietnam just finished the third-place match with U23 Korea at 9:00 PM on January 23 (Sa Saudi Arabia time). After the medal ceremony and completing the post-match procedures, the whole team returned to the hotel about 17 km from the stadium to have a snack and pack their luggage before moving to the airport at night.
During the short rest time at the hotel, many players took the opportunity to sign jerseys as souvenirs, while coach Kim Sang-sik took a nap to recover his fitness. At about 1:15 am, the early transfer group including leaders of the Vietnam Football Federation, coaching staff and most players got into the car to the airport, the travel time lasted about 20 minutes.
Sharing at the airport, captain Khuat Van Khang could not hide his joy when he and U23 Vietnam won a bronze medal at the AFC U23 Championship. The player who has participated in the U23 continental finals three times said he will take a short break with his family before returning to Viettel The Cong club to prepare for phase 2 of V.League 2025-2026.
Some other players also shared simple plans after a stressful journey of competition. Nguyen Thai Son said he was looking forward to family meals, while Nguyen Dinh Bac and Viktor Le planned to rest, replenish their fitness and enjoy familiar Vietnamese dishes after a long time away from home.
According to the plan, coach Kim Sang-sik and his colleagues and 18 players will arrive at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi) at 7:45 PM on January 24. The remaining group of 8 coaching staff members and 6 players will move later, expected to arrive in Hanoi on the morning of January 25, officially closing the memorable journey of U23 Vietnam at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
