U23 Vietnam returns home, Coach Kim Sang Sik takes charge from November

14/10/2025 16:21:00 PANDATV

The U23 Vietnam team will leave the UAE early on October 15 and arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City) at 13:50 the same day, after finishing their training trip with losses to U23 Qatar by scores of 0-1 and 2-3.

The coaching staff and U23 Vietnam players were arranged to visit a famous shopping mall in Abu Dhabi (UAE), buy gifts for their relatives, and also visit notable landmarks such as the Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the gold-plated Emirates Palace hotel in the city.

Then, the U23 Vietnam team members will take a flight from the UAE to Doha (Qatar) and from there connect to a flight to Ho Chi Minh City, expected to land at Tan Son Nhat Airport at 13:50 on October 15.

Coach Kim Sang Sik will lead the U23 Vietnam team starting November to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Championship finals.

From there, the players will return to their local areas to continue training and competing for their clubs in the 2025/26 V-League and National First Division.

The full rotation of the squad allows the coaching staff to gain important evaluations of each player’s abilities during the preparation process for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Championship finals.

According to the agreed plan, the U23 Vietnam team will regroup during the November FIFA Days, simultaneously with the national team’s training camp preparing for the second leg of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Laos away on November 18.

The Vietnam national team will temporarily disband after playing Laos and will only regroup again in March 2026 to play the home leg against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.

However, the U23 Vietnam team will train continuously from the November FIFA Days until the 33rd SEA Games, unlike the national team which disbands.

From this time, Coach Kim Sang Sik will directly take the position of head coach of the U23 Vietnam team, instead of delegating it to assistant coach Đinh Hồng Vinh as in the recent training camp.

Coach Kim Sang Sik’s task is to lead the U23 Vietnam team to claim the gold medal in men’s football at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in December 2025.

In January 2026, he and his players will compete in the 2026 U23 Asian Championship finals in Saudi Arabia.

In this tournament, U23 Vietnam is in Group A along with host Saudi Arabia—the reigning 2022 champions—Jordan, and Kyrgyzstan, who are participating in a U23 Asian Championship finals for the first time.

This group is regarded as highly competitive, featuring a championship contender, an opponent with unpredictable tactics, and a newcomer eager to make an impression.

Comment (0)