Hot News: Vietnam U23 May Not Face China Again

Vietnam U23 is likely to skip the friendly tournament in China scheduled for March 2026, despite earlier reports that the Chinese Football Association (CFA) had invited Coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad.

After returning from Saudi Arabia with a historic bronze medal at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, Vietnam U23 immediately became the focal point of regional football. Multiple sources reveal that the CFA planned to invite Vietnam U23, Thailand U23, and Uzbekistan U23 to a friendly tournament in March, seen as a crucial preparation for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

However, as of now, the chances of Vietnam U23 participating in this invitational tournament have significantly diminished. According to Thanh Niên newspaper,the frequent encounters between these teams over the past two years have reduced the novelty and competitive value of their matches considerably.

If this scenario materializes, it will mark a notable shift in Vietnam U23’s training plans. Nevertheless, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and Coach Kim Sang-sik remain determined to make full use of the FIFA Days in March to prepare both national team levels.

According to Origin Foot (Bangladeshi media), the Vietnam national team will play a friendly against Bangladesh on March 26, before hosting Malaysia at Thien Truong Stadium in the final Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. This game is both a matter of pride and an opportunity for Coach Kim Sang-sik to further refine the squad.

Simultaneously, Vietnam U23 will gather at the VFF headquarters and, according to Thanh Niên, will likely play 1-2 friendly matches against professional clubs in Hanoi and nearby areas such as Hanoi FC, Viettel Army Club, CAHN, or PVF-CAND. This is considered a reasonable plan to maintain match fitness for young players given their absence from the invitational tournament in China.

Notably, the upcoming Vietnam U23 squad will mainly consist of U21 players, who are expected to form the core team for the 2026 Asian Games (from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan). The team will likely be led by interim coach Đinh Hồng Vinh.

Among the Vietnam U23 players who won the recent Asian bronze medal, seven belong to the U21 age group eligible for the 2026 Asian Games. Prominent among them is goalkeeper Cao Văn Bình (born 2005), who delivered an outstanding performance, especially in the historic victory over South Korea U23. Additionally, goalkeeper Phạm Đình Hải (2006), midfielders Nguyễn Công Phương, Lê Văn Thuận (2006), and forward Nguyễn Lê Phát (2007) are included.