U23 Vietnam began their ASIAD 2026 journey with a packed schedule, gathering and training on September 12 before flying to Japan later that night.
The squad departed the Vietnam Football Federation headquarters at 10pm and travelled to Noi Bai International Airport. Coach Dinh Hong Vinh and his players boarded a flight scheduled to take off at 12.15am on September 13, with their arrival in Japan expected at around 6am local time.
A group of 21 players made the initial journey, while two others remained in Vietnam to fulfil commitments in professional competitions. They are scheduled to take the final available flight in the early hours of September 14.
Among those travelling on September 12, 15 players had reported to the VFF headquarters at midday. The other six joined the team immediately after completing the Hanoi FC–Song Lam Nghe An match at Hang Day Stadium. Five Song Lam Nghe An players and one Hanoi FC player left for the airport with their luggage shortly after the final whistle.
The initial 15-player group completed the team’s only training session in Hanoi that afternoon. Before their departure, VFF General Secretary Nguyen Van Phu met the squad and set them the target of reaching the quarter-finals.
The men’s football tournament at ASIAD 2026 will be staged from September 15 to October 3 across Osaka, Toyota, Nagoya and Kariya. A total of 15 teams have been divided into three groups.
Vietnam have been drawn in Group C, with all their group-stage matches taking place in Nagoya. They will begin against Kuwait on September 15 before facing the Philippines on September 18 and Uzbekistan on September 22.
For the tournament, the team will officially compete under the name Vietnam Olympic Team.
Vietnam’s best performance in ASIAD men’s football came in 2018, when the side coached by Park Hang-seo reached the semi-finals and ultimately finished fourth.
VSN/RPT
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