U20 Vietnam ready for qualifier of AFC U20 Asian Cup

Hanoi - Vietnam's U20 team are heading to Indonesia for the qualifiers of the AFC U20 Asian Cup.

The U20 Vietnam team train ahead of the qualifiers of the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2023. - Photo thanhnien.vn

If they finish top of Group F they will automatically progress to the finals of the tournament which will be held next year in Uzbekistan.

Coach Đinh Thế Nam has called up 23 players with seven from the Promotion Fund of Vietnamese Football Talent Academy (PVF).

Coach Nam also called up many new youngsters, although many are experienced playing in both V.League 1 and V.League 2.

Among the new faces are Ho Van Cuong, Dinh Xuan Tien (Song Lam Nghe An), Bui Vi Hao (Binh Duong), Nguyen Hai Nam, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Nguyen Xuan Bac, Tran Ngoc Son, Nguyen Hieu Minh, Nguyen Duc Phu (PVF) and Le Quang Hien (Nutifood JMG). Most of them have represented the country at youth levels.

“Following the 2022 AFF U19 Youth Championship in July, I am very confident in the quality of my team," Nam said.

"Especially after adding many good players, the whole team are very confident to achieve the highest result in Group F."

To prepare for the AFC event, the Vietnamese squad had two friendly matches with U20 Palestine at the Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho Province, with the result of 0-0 draw in the first match and 2-0 win in the second match.

“The recent matches against Palestine were still not the best performance of the Vietnamese team, because the players still maintained a heavy training regime, so their good form had not come," Nam added.

"In the coming days, the team will gradually reduce the amount of practice so that when the qualifiers begin, the team are in the best state."

Cao Van Chong, vice president of the Vietnam Football Federation, met and wished the Vietnamese team good health, luck and success in the tournament as well as reminded the whole team during the competition to comply with the tournament rules on the prevention of COVID-19 pandemic of the host country.

Vietnam are in Group F with Timor Leste, Chinese Hong Kong and the hosts Indonesia. Vietnam will play against their rivals from Hong Kong in their first match on September 14. They will face Timor Leste on September 16 and host Indonesia two days later.

Gathering 44 teams, the qualifying round is divided into 10 groups whose matches will be hosted by 10 countries.

According to this year's competition format, 10 winners and the five best runners-up from the group stage will advance to the final round hosted by Uzbekistan from March 1 – 18, 2023.

Vietnam U20 wins friendly match Vietnam U20 went up against U21 Roda JC, one of the premiere league teams in the Netherlands, in a friendly match yesterday (Apr. 23) at the Seghemanstraat Stadium in Germany.

U20 Vietnam to play friendly match against Palestine in Phu Tho Vietnam’s U20 team will play a friendly match against Palestine on September 3 at Viet Tri Stadium in the northern province of Phu Tho, according to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).