SEA Games 33: The True Test for Vietnam's U23 Team

27/10/2025 06:53:00 PlaymakerHub

If SEA Games 33 is the foremost target for Vietnam’s youth football, then the tournaments already held and those upcoming in 2025 act as essential stepping stones to strengthen that ambition. All serve as tests to gain a clearer picture of the current young generation in Vietnamese football.

1. To identify key priorities in the near term, the Vietnam Football Federation and coaching staff have planned preparations well in advance with a structured and coordinated schedule alongside the senior national team during FIFA international windows. As per the agreed plan, the Vietnam U23 squad will regroup during the November FIFA Days. During this period, the U23 team will compete in the CFA Team China Cup 2025, held in China from November 12 to 18.

The tournament gathers four U23 national teams: South Korea, Uzbekistan, China, and Vietnam. This marks the third consecutive time the Vietnam U23 team participates in this prestigious competition organized by the Chinese Football Association. In the most recent event in March 2025, led by acting head coach Đinh Hồng Vinh, the Vietnam U23 team performed impressively with an unbeaten record (draws against U23 South Korea, U23 Uzbekistan, and host U23 China), finishing third overall.

The CFA Team China Cup 2025 is regarded as an important preparatory stage for teams aiming for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup final tournament. For Vietnam’s U23 team, it provides quality international match experience, helping the coaching staff further refine the squad, test personnel and tactics, and serves as a crucial stepping stone before the final phase leading up to SEA Games 33.

For coach Kim Sang Sik and his players, the outcome and ranking in this tournament are not the main concerns; the primary goal is to test the lineup, try tactical plans, and observe how the young players adapt to international competition conditions.

Facing strong opponents at a continental-level tournament like the CFA Team China Cup offers coach Kim Sang Sik a great chance to freely implement his experiments to define the identity and playing style for Vietnam’s U23 team. Importantly, the CFA Team China Cup is considered an opportunity for coach Kim Sang Sik to "test run" the squad that will compete in the upcoming SEA Games 33.

Vietnam’s U23 team has successfully completed two of the three missions in 2025: winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and securing a spot at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup. Photo: Hoàng Linh

2. With a promising young generation, thorough preparation, and a quality training environment like the CFA Team China Cup, Vietnam’s U23 team is expected to elevate their level. Every match and training camp is a practical lesson helping young players mature and confidently aim for SEA Games 33.

In 2025, the young players have achieved two important goals: winning the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and qualifying for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup. This successful journey has strengthened the team’s confidence and unity.

Now, the SEA Games 33 gold medal is not just a trophy but the final piece completing the perfect picture of Vietnamese youth football’s highly successful 2025. Achieving this will surely generate a positive effect, boost morale, and inspire the team to perform explosively at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.

Naturally, the pressure on the entire Vietnam U23 team is immense. The nation’s youth football has won gold in two consecutive SEA Games, but that was during the era of coach Park Hang Seo. Winning SEA Games gold is one thing; more importantly, a new generation of Vietnamese footballers must prove they deserve to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors on the path of development ahead.

Therefore, successive tournaments will serve as challenges for coach Kim Sang Sik and his players to build their own values and establish their position. From there, they will inspire belief and hope for a new cycle with a new coach, along with fresh mindset and actions.

Although not as remarkable as the generation that participated in the 2017 U20 World Cup, Vietnam’s youth football still boasts a talented group of players. More importantly, they possess strong ambitions to prove themselves and take further steps forward in their careers.

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