European Expert: 'Indonesia is no longer on the same level as Vietnam'

After the historic result at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship, expert Jernej Kamensek suggests that Vietnam should cease comparisons with Indonesia because the two football systems have advanced to different levels.

Slovenian football analyst Jernej Kamensek expressed a notable opinion, urging fans and professionals to stop measuring Vietnam against Indonesia. He stated that the gap between the two football nations is now clear enough to confirm they are no longer at the same standard.

Kamensek made this observation following Vietnam U23’s third-place finish at the 2026 U23 Asian Championship held in Saudi Arabia. Unlike Vietnam’s impressive run, Indonesia failed to qualify for the tournament. For Kamensek, this is not a coincidence but rather reflects differences in foundation and development depth.

He was especially impressed by how Vietnam overcame U23 South Korea in the third-place match. Despite playing with one less player for most of the final minutes, Vietnam forced the game into a penalty shootout and bravely won 7-6.

“I think Vietnam U23 surprised many people, but more importantly, they proved themselves to be a very solid team”, Kamensek commented. “They are disciplined, understand each other well, and play for the collective. That is their greatest strength.”

According to the Slovenian expert, in a short tournament like the U23 Asian Cup, team cohesion and fighting spirit are decisive factors. “A team that values collective play like that truly feels like a fairy tale”, he added. For Kamensek, Vietnam’s success is not due to luck but the result of a long-term accumulation.

Having followed Vietnamese football for many years, Kamensek said he was not surprised by this progress. “I saw the potential of Vietnamese football 16 years ago when I watched Trọng Hoàng play at age 20”, he shared. According to him, the biggest issues in the past were infrastructure and coaching systems, not player quality.

Currently, those weaknesses are gradually improving. “The foundational elements are getting better, so the gap between Vietnam and the strong Asian teams is narrowing”, Kamensek analyzed. He believes the pace of development may not be the fastest, but it fits Vietnam’s cultural context and sports conditions.

From this, Kamensek made a straightforward call: “Vietnam should stop comparing itself to Southeast Asian teams, including Indonesia”. He stated that Vietnam has moved beyond the regional framework and needs to focus on Asia’s leading opponents. “That is a completely achievable challenge, as long as Vietnam continues on the right development path and maintains a suitable pace”, he concluded.

This viewpoint reaffirms Vietnam’s increasingly clear position on the continental football map, where the benchmark is no longer Southeast Asia but higher Asian standards.