Hanoi, 21 December 2025 – Fresh from winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal, U23 Vietnam will have little time to celebrate as they quickly turn their focus to a far tougher challenge at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, where they will face some of Asia’s strongest opponents.
After securing the gold medal at SEA Games 33, U23 Vietnam will not enjoy a long break. Head coach Kim Sang Sik and his players are set to immediately begin preparations for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, one of the most demanding stages in Asian football at youth level. According to the schedule, U23 Vietnam will open their campaign against U23 Jordan on January 6, 2026. This means the players who have just completed an intense SEA Games campaign will have only a little more than ten days to recover physically and mentally, while also adapting to a higher level of competition.
In the group stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026, U23 Vietnam will face a challenging lineup, meeting U23 Jordan on January 6, U23 Kyrgyzstan on January 9, and U23 Saudi Arabia on January 12. This is widely regarded as a tough group, where U23 Vietnam must compete fiercely for one of the top two positions to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Saudi Arabia are traditionally one of the strongest youth teams in Asia, while Jordan and Kyrgyzstan are known for their physical style and tactical discipline, promising stern tests for the SEA Games champions.
Vietnamese football has an impressive record at this level, having qualified for the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals six consecutive times. The pinnacle of that journey came in 2018, when U23 Vietnam finished as runners-up, creating a historic milestone for the country’s football. In the two most recent editions, the team successfully progressed beyond the group stage before being eliminated in the quarter-finals, showing consistent competitiveness on the continental stage.
With a highly rated squad and the confidence boost provided by the SEA Games 33 gold medal, U23 Vietnam under Kim Sang Sik are expected to aim higher at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026. The tournament will not only test their endurance after a packed schedule but also measure how far the current generation can go against Asia’s elite, as Vietnamese football looks to reaffirm its position on the continental map.
Thanh Tung
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