Former assistant Park Hang-seo: 'Indonesian football is falling behind Vietnam'

The former assistant of Park Hang-seo commented after the journey of Vietnam U23, stating that Indonesian football is lagging and falling behind Vietnam.

Vietnam U23's achievement of third place at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship continues to make a significant impact, not only in Southeast Asia but also among Asian football experts. Notably, Mr. Bae Ji-won, former assistant coach to Park Hang-seo during Vietnam's golden era, gave frank opinions, suggesting that Indonesian football has now been left behind by Vietnam.

Commenting on Vietnam U23’s journey, Bae Ji-won expressed his admiration for the clear progress of the red-shirted team. Vietnam U23 finished the tournament in third place, losing only one match out of six, including an emotional victory over South Korea U23 in the third-place playoff after a penalty shootout.

According to the former Korean assistant, the win against South Korea U23 holds a particularly important meaning.“Vietnam’s victory over South Korea is a very positive signal for their competitiveness in major Asian tournaments. It shows that Vietnam is no longer hesitant and is ready to compete fairly against strong teams.”

Not only praising the results, Bae Ji-won believes Vietnam has risen to become one of the top teams in Southeast Asia. “Vietnam has surpassed regional rivals such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Overall, from tactical organization, fighting spirit to resilience, they are on a different level.”

However, Bae Ji-won also acknowledged the difference between youth competitions and the senior national team level. “Of course, the AFC U23 Championship is very different from the Asian Cup at the national team level. But Vietnam’s outstanding performance in this tournament once again confirms the sustainable development potential of Vietnamese football.”

According to former assistant coach Park Hang-seo, the achievement at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship has firmly reinforced Vietnam’s position as number one in Southeast Asia at the youth level. “Vietnam has proven they are currently the strongest team in the region. They can definitely aim for bigger goals, even the dream of the World Cup in the future.”

Besides technical skills, Bae Ji-won especially praised the spirit and identity of Vietnamese football. “Vietnamese players have a very strong fighting spirit along with deep national pride. Their cohesion, organization, and team spirit are the best in Southeast Asia. In football, 11 individuals must play as a united block, and Vietnam is doing that very well.”