West Asian media: Vietnam U23 team is a formidable opponent.
Jordan's Alrai newspaper considers the Vietnam U23 team one of the strongest in Group A at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship, while their own team faces a personnel crisis.
Frank assessment from the opponent
Ahead of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship Finals, Jordan's Alrai newspaper published noteworthy assessments of the strength of the teams in Group A, particularly highlighting Vietnam U23 as a formidable opponent capable of posing significant challenges.
According to Alrai, the group, which includes host nation Saudi Arabia and two highly-rated teams, Vietnam and Kyrgyzstan, will be a challenging journey for the Jordan U23 team. The newspaper quotes coach Omar Naji, who affirmed that the team will approach the tournament cautiously, taking it one match at a time, starting with the clash against Vietnam.
Jordan U23 faces a squad crisis.
While acknowledging their opponents, the Jordan U23 team is facing a serious personnel issue. They will be without several key players for their opening match against Vietnam U23 and for the rest of the tournament.
Striker Ibrahim Sabra, born in 2006, was not allowed to join the squad by his club, Goztepe. Similarly, the duo Muhannad Abu Taha and Ali Al Azaizeh faced the same situation. In addition, Mohammad Abu Hazeem suffered an injury and was unable to participate. These losses are seen as an opportunity for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team to aim for a favorable result in the opening match.
Vietnam U23's preparation
As for the Vietnam U23 team, the entire squad has assembled and is actively preparing for the pre-tournament phase. According to the plan, the team will have an important friendly match against Syria U23 in Qatar to finalize their squad before officially entering the tournament.
After this match, the team will travel to Saudi Arabia to begin their journey in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship. According to the schedule, Vietnam U23 will face Jordan on January 6th, Kyrgyzstan on January 9th, and conclude the group stage with a match against host Saudi Arabia on January 12th.
