Japanese coach calls up 31 Vietnamese players to the national team

The Vietnam U19 national team has summoned 31 players for their first training camp in 2026 to review and assess the squad for upcoming important tournaments.

The Vietnam U19 national team will hold its first training camp in 2026 with the goal of reviewing and evaluating the squad, aiming for important tournaments in the near future. This is the initial preparatory step in the Vietnam Football Federation's plan to build the team for the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship as well as the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.

According to the announced list, there are a total of 31 players called up for this training camp. Many of them have previously represented Vietnam's youth teams such as U16, U17, and U18. Familiar names like Nguyễn Đức Nhật, Lê Minh Nhật, Bạch Trọng Dương, Nguyễn Văn Quân, Nguyễn Thiên Phú, Nguyễn Hoàng Nam, and Đinh Xuân Khải are expected to play important roles in the Vietnam U19 squad.

Notable in the list is goalkeeper Nguyễn Bá Nhật Ka, a player currently competing for Ryukei University Club in Japan. With a height of 1.96m, Nhật Ka possesses a prominent physical advantage and previously had the opportunity to train with the Vietnam U20 team during a training session in Japan in 2024.

Additionally, the inclusion of young forward Antonio Moric also attracts attention. The 2008-born player of Vietnamese-Croatian descent is currently contracted to NK Trnje Club. With a height of 1.81m and flexible playing ability, Moric can handle multiple positions such as central midfielder or winger. Despite being very young, he has already made appearances for the club's senior team in Croatia.

According to the plan, Vietnam U19 will assemble and train from March 17 to March 29 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. In the initial phase, the coaching staff will monitor and evaluate the performance of each player to gain a comprehensive overview of the squad.

After about a week of training, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi is expected to proceed with squad screening, reducing the number by 10 to 15 players and simultaneously calling up some additional new faces. Creating internal competition is considered a crucial factor to help the coaching staff select the most suitable players for Vietnam U19 on their journey towards upcoming international tournaments.