Expected AFC U23 Asian Cup finals

Vietnam U23 are showing a certain level of confidence before the kick-off of the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia from January 6 to 24. Football fans across the country are expecting a win again, similar to what U23 Vietnamese players achieved at the 2018 tournament.

In 2018, Vietnam U23, under the guidance of Coach Park Hang Seo, secured the second place in an AFC U23 Asian Cup for the first time after the famous snowy match against Uzbekistan U23 in Changzhou. Since then, although subsequent generations of Vietnam U23 have shown progress, their best results were reaching the quarter-finals in 2022 and 2024.

Vietnam U23 in a friendly match against Syria U23 ahead of the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals (Source: VFF)

At this year’s AFC U23 Asian Cup, domestic football supporter highly hope that Vietnam U23, under the guidance of Coach Kim Sang Sik, can win. This expectation is well founded as Vietnam U23 players recently crowned champions of the Southeast Asian U23 Championship for the 3rd consecutive time and won the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand just a few weeks ago. These achievements affirmed the dominance of Vietnam’ youth football and are expected to serve as a good motivation to boost the confidence of Vietnam U23players in the upcoming tournament.

Midfielder Khuat Van Khang, born in 2003, has set a goal for Vietnam U23 to reach the final of the tournament in Saudi Arabia. As this is his final appearance for the U23 national team in a continental youth tournament, he wishes to create the miracle one more time. “In this edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, there are many debutants in the line-up of Vietnam U23. Looking at them, I see myself 3 years ago, also stepping out onto the continental playground for the first time. This is a high class tournament that will surely bring many special emotions to the players and provide an opportunity for them to perform their skills,” said Van Khang.

Confidently aiming for the final of this year’s AFC U23 Asian Cup shows that Khuat Van Khang and his teammates have prepared very well with high determination for the tournament. The current Vietnam U23 are considered youthful and internationally experienced. Key players such as Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Thai Son, Thanh Nhan, and Vi Hao have played many matches for U23 team and the national team. Additionally, Vietnam U23 are led by talented Coach Kim Sang Sik. Of course, opponents like hosts Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kyrgyzstan are formidable and unpredictable. However, with an impressive achievements and a squad full of experience and enthusiasm, there is strong hope that a miracle will happen again.

P.H
Translated by H.N