U23 Vietnam player points out biggest rival in Southeast Asian tournament

“This year, U23 Indonesia is very determined, they have a strong squad and are well prepared. That creates more motivation for U23 Vietnam to strive harder,” center back Nguyen Nhat Minh expressed about the opponent he rates the most at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

Tuyển thủ U23 Việt Nam chỉ ra đối thủ lớn nhất ở giải Đông Nam Á - 1 — Center back Nhat Minh practices with his U23 Vietnam teammates on the evening of July 16 before the opening match against the Laos team (Photo: VFF).

Nhat Minh and his U23 Vietnam teammates continued to practice hard on the evening of July 16 to prepare for the opening match against the Laos team at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship.

The atmosphere on the training ground was exciting as coach Kim Sang Sik increased the amount of physical activity and divided the team into opposing teams across the field. With only 3 days left to prepare, the coaching staff took full advantage of the opportunity to evaluate the players and build an optimal framework with the goal of achieving favorable results in the opening match.

The spirit of determination and high concentration continued to be maintained by the U23 Vietnam players throughout the training session. All tried their best to demonstrate their abilities to assert themselves, contributing to creating a positive competitive atmosphere within the team.

Speaking to the press before the training session, center back Nguyen Nhat Minh shared: “I am very happy and proud to be on the list of 23 U23 Vietnam players going to Indonesia to participate in this tournament. I will try my best and put my highest determination to bring victory to the fans.”

The midfielder born in 2003 also frankly admitted that he still has a lot to learn: “I am still young, I need to learn more from those who have played in the V-League and try to improve myself even more. Being able to play in the V-League more than some of my peers is partly a blessing, but I understand that I still have to keep trying.”

Tuyển thủ U23 Việt Nam chỉ ra đối thủ lớn nhất ở giải Đông Nam Á - 2 — The Vietnam U23 team sets high goals at the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship (Photo: VFF).

Nhat Minh said his strengths are confidence, the ability to quickly integrate with teammates, and always trying to adapt to the team's playing style. He emphasized: "On the national team and at the club, there is a certain level of competition, each environment has its own differences. The important thing is to know how to integrate, find ways to adapt to best develop your abilities."

Nguyen Nhat Minh is one of the outstanding young players of Vietnamese football today. Born in 2003 in Hai Phong and trained at HA Gia Lai , Nhat Minh was runner-up in the National U19 twice, won the National U21 championship with HA Gia Lai before being called up to the U17, U18, U19, U20 levels and is currently a highly regarded player in U22, U23 Vietnam.

Not only possessing a good physique with a height of 1m80, Nhat Minh is also highly appreciated for his extensive experience playing at the U22 age group when he used to play for Long An and is currently an important member of Hai Phong Club in V-League.

The opening match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Laos will take place at 5:00 p.m. on July 19 at Patriot Stadium, Bekasi, Indonesia.