Illustrative image (Photo: VFF) Hanoi (VNA) – Although entering the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship 2023 in their capacity as defending champions, Vietnam’s U23 team did not come to the tournament with their strongest line-up.
Experienced U20 team
The AFF U23 Championship 2023 will take place in Thailand from August 17-26.
Prior to the tournament, Vice President of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Tran Anh Tu said a majority of the U23 team members are in the age group of 17-20. Under the leadership of coach Hoang Anh Tuan, the young players will have the opportunity to shine, helping to create a standby force for the national football team.
Earlier, the VFF announced its decision to establish two U23 national teams for different missions.
One team will participate in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers, while the other will compete in two tournaments, namely the 19th Asia Games (ASIAD 19) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship 2023.
The decision was part of a plan to develop a strong pool of players for the national men’s football team, aiming at long-term goals, while also taking into consideration the schedule of international tournaments in 2023.
The team that will compete at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers gathers the best players in the U23 age group, to be led by coach Philippe Troussier.
The best players from this squad will be selected to the national team for the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers which will commence in November this year.
Meanwhile, the other team consists of core players from the U20 age group, and some U23 players. They play under the guidance of coach Hoang Anh Tuan.
The decision to establish the teams was approved by the VFF Executive Committee, and approved in principle by the Vietnam Sports Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu said.
The team coached by Hoang Anh Tuan began their training on July 28 to prepare for the AFF U23 Championship 2023. After that, the team will enter its next training phase to prepare for ASIAD 19 in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.
The team led by Troussier will train concurrently with the national team during the FIFA days in September after the V.League 2023 season concludes.
Playground for young teams
Like Vietnam, regional teams have also faced difficulties in calling up their best players for the AFF U23 Championship 2023 as the tournament will kick off at the same time as the national championships.
The AFF U23 Championship 2023 is not included in the international competition schedule of FIFA (FIFA Days), hence the regional teams, including Malaysia and Indonesia, find it hard to ask clubs to allow their players to play for the U23 squads.
Vietnam are in Group C of the AFF U23 Championship 2023 together with the Philippines and Laos.
The Vietnamese team and their head coach Hoang Anh Tuan arrived in Bangkok on August 14 to prepare for the tournament.
Tuan said the team gathered many players aged 17, 18, and 20. This aligns with the association's goal of creating a platform for young players, thus selecting the best for the U23 national team to play at the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in September this year.
The team will also represent Vietnam at the 19th Asian Games (ASIAD) in Hangzhou, China, in September.
The AFF U23 Championship will be an opportunity for young players to sharpen their skills, strengthen their competitiveness and earn international experiences, Tuan said.
Vietnam had a friendly match against U23 Bahrain on August 15 afternoon in Bangkok before the opening match against Laos on August 20.
This year’s edition will see 10 teams, divided into three groups, of which Group A consists of Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, and Myanmar; while Group B consists of Timor-Leste, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The teams are to play in the round-robin format. The three top teams in the groups and the best second-place squad will compete in the semi-finals.
It will be the fourth edition of the AFF U23 Championship after those in 2005, 2019 and 2022.
Vietnam earned their first title after beating Thailand 1-0 in Cambodia in February last year./.
