Vietnam U22 loses two key players for their opening match at the SEA Games 33.
Coach Kim Sang Sik finalized the 28-player squad; Van Truong suffered a knee ligament injury requiring surgery; Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc are busy with CAHN and missed the U22 Laos match, they will join the team on December 4th.
The Vietnam U22 team will be without midfielder Nguyen Van Truong and the CAHN duo Nguyen Dinh Bac and Pham Minh Phuc for their opening match against Laos U22 at the SEA Games 33 on December 4th. Van Truong suffered a knee ligament injury at the Panda Cup 2025 and requires surgery, while Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc have conflicting club schedules and can only join the team on the opening day.
List of 28 players for the final training camp.
On November 21st, head coach Kim Sang Sik announced the list of 28 players for the final training camp before the 33rd SEA Games. This is the finalization of the squad after more than a year of preparation aimed at increasing competitiveness at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games and towards the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
Nguyen Van Truong is absent due to a knee ligament injury.
In the final match of the Panda Cup 2025 international friendly tournament on November 18th against South Korea U22, Nguyen Van Truong unfortunately suffered a knee ligament injury and had to undergo surgery. This is a major loss for Vietnam U22 in their SEA Games 33 campaign.
Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc missed the opening match due to the Hanoi FC schedule.
Due to CAHN's schedule in the 2025 Southeast Asian Club Championship, striker Nguyen Dinh Bac and midfielder Pham Minh Phuc can only join the team on December 4th. This means they will not be able to participate in the match against U22 Laos.
The issue of personnel and coaching staff flexibility.
The absence of three key players at crucial moments forces the coaching staff to carefully plan for each match and each stage. According to the plan, the Vietnam U22 team will employ a flexible personnel strategy, leveraging the cohesion of the players who have trained and gained experience continuously in recent times to maintain consistent performance.
Preparation and competition schedule
The Vietnam U22 team will reconvene in Vung Tau on November 23rd, before traveling to Thailand on December 1st to begin their SEA Games 33 campaign. In the group stage, they will play against Laos U22 on December 4th and Malaysia U22 on December 11th.
| Timeline | Event |
|---|---|
| 21/11 | Head coach Kim Sang Sik announced the list of 28 players. |
| 23/11 | The Vietnam U22 team has assembled in Vung Tau. |
| 1/12 | The team traveled to Thailand to participate in the 33rd SEA Games. |
| 4/12 | The opening match is against U22 Laos; Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc join the team. |
| 11/12 | Group stage match against U22 Malaysia |
The foundation and objectives at the 33rd SEA Games.
The U22 Vietnam team is following the planned roadmap with specific strategies for each stage. The foundation built upon long-term training and experience in numerous international tournaments will serve as a strong basis for head coach Kim Sang Sik and his team to confidently aim for medals and affirm the position of Vietnamese youth football in the region.
Quick highlights
- Injury:Nguyen Van Truong suffered a knee ligament injury at the Panda Cup 2025 and had to undergo surgery.
- Absent due to club schedule:Nguyen Dinh Bac and Pham Minh Phuc were busy playing for CAHN and missed the match against U22 Laos.
- Number of employees:28 players have been called up for the final training camp before the 33rd SEA Games.
- Group stage schedule:U22 Laos on December 4th; U22 Malaysia on December 11th.
- Travel itinerary:The troops will assemble in Vung Tau on November 23rd and travel to Thailand on December 1st.
