Hanoi, 22 November 2025 – U22 Vietnam will be without Nguyen Dinh Bac and Pham Minh Phuc for the SEA Games 33 opener against Laos, while midfielder Nguyen Van Truong is ruled out long-term due to a serious knee injury, forcing major adjustments to coach Kim Sang-sik’s plans.
U22 Vietnam will face significant challenges in their opening match at SEA Games 33, as the team will be without key attacking duo Nguyen Dinh Bac and Pham Minh Phuc due to schedule conflicts with Hanoi Police FC. The club must compete in the ASEAN Club Championship on 3 December, along with AFC Champions League Two matches on 27 November and 11 December. While centre-back Pham Ly Duc is allowed to join the squad early, both Pham Minh Phuc and striker Nguyen Dinh Bac will only report on 4 December, meaning they will miss the first match against Laos.
Nguyen Dinh Bac has been one of Vietnam’s most exciting talents since emerging under Philippe Troussier from late 2023 to early 2024. His standout moment came at the 2023 Asian Cup, scoring the opener in Vietnam’s 2-4 defeat to Japan. At U23 level, he was instrumental in Vietnam’s U23 Southeast Asian Championship 2025 triumph, winning Player of the Tournament with two goals in four matches. Pham Minh Phuc, meanwhile, scored the decisive goal in the recent 1-0 win over China at the Panda Cup 2025.
Vietnam also suffered a major blow with the loss of midfielder Nguyen Van Truong, who was stretchered off in the 0-1 defeat to South Korea in the final match of the Panda Cup on 18 November. Scans confirmed a knee ligament injury that requires surgery, ruling him out of SEA Games 33 and the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals. According to the VFF, Van Truong’s absence is “a huge loss,” as he plays a vital role in Vietnam’s tactical structure with his energy, intelligence and ability to maintain tempo in midfield.
Born in 2003, Van Truong rose through the Hanoi FC academy and impressed alongside Khuat Van Khang when the duo helped U23 Vietnam reach the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup at just 19 years old.
To cover the gap, coach Kim Sang-sik has added two central midfielders: Nguyen Duc Viet from Hoang Anh Gia Lai and Bulgaria-born Vietnamese midfielder Tran Thanh Trung of Ninh Binh, who recently returned home after a three-year stint with CSKA Sofia. Ninh Binh’s 18-year-old forward Nguyen Le Phat is also called up, raising the squad to 28 players, including 25 who competed at the Panda Cup–where Vietnam beat China 1-0 through Pham Minh Phuc before losing narrowly 0-1 to both Uzbekistan and South Korea.
PVF-CAND and Ninh Binh contribute the most players with four each. They are followed by Thanh Hoa, The Cong, Hanoi Police FC with three; Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City Police, Hoang Anh Gia Lai with two; and one each from Hanoi FC, Song Lam Nghe An, Hai Phong, Ha Tinh and Ho Chi Minh City.
U22 Vietnam will regroup in Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City on 23 November after the National Cup round of 16. Coach Kim will finalise the 23-man list for SEA Games 33 on 1 December. In Group B of men’s football, Vietnam face Laos on 4 December before meeting Malaysia on 11 December, with the target of reclaiming the SEA Games gold medal after three years.
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