U23 Vietnam: Coach Kim Sang Sik's students just need to be themselves

The opponent is not too strong

Admittedly, the opponents in the same group with U23 Vietnam, U23 Yemen, U23 Singapore and U23 Bangladesh, are not very strong names at the continental level. Each team has its own problems.

Although Bangladesh U23 attracted attention with the call-up of naturalized British player Cuba Mitchell (who trained at Sunderland's youth academy), it is difficult for just one individual to help the South Asian team cause a surprise.

u23 vietnam.jpg — U23 Vietnam is considered the strongest in Group C in the U23 Asian qualifiers.

Meanwhile, U23 Singapore brought to Viet Tri a very young squad, essentially the core U20 team from the Young Lions Club. This move shows that the team in the same region does not place much emphasis on performance goals. Not participating in the most recent U23 Southeast Asian tournament also raises questions about the team's preparation and cohesion.

U23 Yemen is considered the toughest opponent, but the West Asian team is not too far from coach Kim Sang Sik's team, especially when their international experience is quite limited, so U23 Vietnam can completely win all 3 points.

Just U23 Vietnam be themselves

When the opponents are not too superior, the key to winning the ticket to the next round lies entirely in the hands of coach Kim Sang Sik and his team. The problem of U23 Vietnam does not lie in spirit or defensive ability, but focuses on the attack. Now is the time to thoroughly solve those inherent weaknesses.

The conversion rate of chances into goals of the U23 Vietnam strikers is still very low. Against opponents who are likely to play a crowded defense, taking advantage of every small opportunity will be decisive. Strikers like Quoc Viet, Dinh Bac, Thanh Nhan need to be more cold and sharp in the penalty area.

u23 viet nam Indonesia 1.jpg — And just being yourself will win a ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Championship

In addition, the team needs to improve their ability to create breakthroughs from passes in the midfield area. The lack of smart through balls or sharp central attacking combinations has made the U23 Vietnam's playing style sometimes monotonous and easy to predict.

The appearance of Tran Thanh Trung is expected to completely solve the remaining problems in the midfield area and help coach Kim Sang Sik's team win.

With home advantage and the highest rated strength in the group, U23 Vietnam is holding the right to decide. The road to Saudi Arabia in 2026 will be easy if Mr. Kim Sang Sik's students solve their own problems and play a more confident and effective football than what was seen in the U23 Southeast Asian tournament.

VFF officially released tickets for Group C matches - 2025 AFC U23 qualifiers directly from the afternoon of September 2 at the main gate of Phu Tho Sports Stadium. After the first release day, the direct ticket issuance at the counter will last from September 3-9. The 2025 AFC U23 qualifiers have 3 denominations: 100, 200 and 300 thousand VND/ticket.