Qatar, 27 December 2025 – Head coach Kim Sang-sik is expected to make an important personnel decision regarding the Vietnam U23 squad for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 in the coming days.
Vietnam U23 are currently training intensively in Qatar as part of their final preparations for the continental tournament. During the first days of training in Qatar, the coaching staff have placed particular emphasis on adjusting the players’ biological rhythms. This has been identified as a top priority to help the squad quickly adapt to daily routines, climate conditions, and match schedules.
Qatar shares the same time zone as Saudi Arabia, the host nation of the finals, making this adaptation phase especially important as Vietnam U23 aim to perform at their best on the Asian stage.
According to the plan, Vietnam U23 will play a friendly match against Syria U23 on December 30. This match will serve as a key opportunity for the coaching staff to assess the squad and fine-tune tactical approaches ahead of the tournament.
Following the friendly, Kim Sang-sik will finalize the squad by cutting one player, reducing the list to 23 players for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026. The team currently has 24 players, as centre-back Dang Tuan Phong suffered an injury before the departure to Qatar. The Korean coach has decided not to call up any replacements.
After completing the training camp in Qatar, the Vietnam U23 delegation will travel to Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2026, officially beginning their campaign at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
Leave a Reply