Vietnam U23 coach regrets absence of goal-scoring striker against West Asian team at tournament in China

17/03/2026 21:03:00 esportapi

Vietnam U23 coach Dinh Hong Vinh expresses regret over young player Le Phat missing the team's training camp due to injury.

Assistant coach Dinh Hong Vinh continues to be trusted to act as interim head coach of the Vietnam U23 team participating in the CFA Team China – Xi'an 2026 International Football Tournament. In an interview with media on March 17 afternoon, Coach Dinh Hong Vinh expressed regret regarding the case of young player Le Phat (born 2007), who is absent due to injury.

HLV U23 Việt Nam tiếc nuối khi chân sút ghi bàn vào lưới đội Tây Á vắng mặt ở giải đấu tại Trung Quốc - Ảnh 1. — Coach Dinh Hong Vinh speaks to media during training session on March 17 afternoon - Photo: Son Tung

"Le Phat is a very promising young player, but I was very sorry to learn yesterday that he suffered a shoulder injury. This affects the team's playing style and lineup planning for the upcoming matches," Coach Dinh Hong Vinh shared.

Coach Dinh Hong Vinh comments on Le Phat's absence

Le Phat is a young talent expected to shine after participating in the 2026 U23 Asian Cup, where Vietnam U23 under Coach Kim Sang Sik won a bronze medal. The striker from Ninh Binh Club scored one goal against UAE U23 and provided one assist in the match against Kyrgyzstan U23. Both matches were victories for Vietnam U23. Before the 2026 U23 Asian Cup finals, Le Phat also impressed with a goal in a friendly match against Syria U23.

Ninh Binh Club announced that during training on March 15 afternoon, striker Nguyen Le Phat suffered a shoulder injury and was quickly taken to hospital for treatment. Fortunately, Le Phat's injury did not require surgery, and doctors successfully reset the bone. He is expected to be discharged on March 18 and may resume training after about a month.

HLV U23 Việt Nam tiếc nuối khi chân sút ghi bàn vào lưới đội Tây Á vắng mặt ở giải đấu tại Trung Quốc - Ảnh 3. — Le Phat misses this month's international friendly tournament in China due to injury - Photo: AFC

At the CFA Team China – Xi'an 2026 tournament, Vietnam U23 will have the opportunity to compete against quality opponents including China U23, Thailand U23, and North Korea U23.

According to plan, the Vietnam U23 team will maintain daily training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center. The team will travel to China to participate in the tournament on March 23. Vietnam U23 will successively face North Korea U23 (March 25), Thailand U23 (March 28), and China U23 (March 31).