U22 Vietnam confident at Panda Cup 2025 in Chengdu
Coach Dinh Hong Vinh affirmed that U22 Vietnam is ready for Panda Cup 2025, not afraid of U22 China, Korea, Uzbekistan and considers the tournament as a warm-up step for SEA Games 33.
U22 Vietnam entered the CFA Team China – Panda Cup 2025 in Chengdu with a strong statement from coach Dinh Hong Vinh: the team will compete with the highest spirit, not afraid to face U22 China, Korea and Uzbekistan, and at the same time take advantage of the tournament to improve their skills towards the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Cup finals.
Ready for Panda Cup 2025
At the press conference on the afternoon of November 11, Coach Dinh Hong Vinh emphasized that the team is aiming for maximum professional efficiency and competitive attitude: "The U22 Vietnam team will try their best to achieve the best professional efficiency, thereby creating a perfect start for the 33rd SEA Games." According to him, the Panda Cup is an important opportunity to test the squad and tactics before the 2026 U23 Asian Cup finals.
The 52-year-old coach thanked the Chinese Football Association (CFA) for their thoughtful reception and affirmed the confidence of young Vietnamese players when facing strong opponents in the tournament.
Big opponents: U22 China, Korea, Uzbekistan
U22 Vietnam will face U22 China, South Korea and Uzbekistan in Chengdu. These are all quality opponents, creating a comprehensive test for the young Vietnamese team's ability to organize play and adapt in the match.
From a professional perspective, this group of opponents helps the coaching staff observe a variety of match situations to evaluate the coordination between the lines, personnel plans and the ability to manage the match tempo in the context of a continuously running tournament.
Forces and progress of the army
Coach Dinh Hong Vinh admitted that the preparation phase was affected when many key players were busy competing in the V-League and could not gather early. He said: “This afternoon, we had full strength when six players had just completed their duties at their home clubs. However, U22 Vietnam has maintained continuous training since the end of 2024, so this is not considered an obstacle.”
Stabilizing the squad in a short time requires U22 Vietnam to make the most of each training session to synchronize their state and fine-tune their operating mechanism, thereby maintaining cohesion when entering intense matches.
Preparation in Sichuan and competition goals
Immediately after settling into their accommodation, the coaching staff let the players do some light warm-ups in the hotel grounds to recover their physical condition, before entering the first training session in Sichuan. The goal was clearly set: to demonstrate a cohesive playing style, high fighting spirit, and accumulate real-life experience for Khuat Van Khang and his teammates to aim for the 33rd SEA Games.
Recent statistics provide a basis for confidence
In the friendly tournament organized by CFA in March 2025, U22 Vietnam drew all three previous matches with the current group of opponents. These results are considered to help the team accumulate experience, creating a foundation for the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and a perfect record in the 2026 Asian U23 qualifiers.
| Competitor | Score |
|---|---|
| China U22 | 1-1 |
| U22 Korea | 1-1 |
| U22 Uzbekistan | 0-0 |
Significance for the 33rd SEA Games and 2026 Asian U23 roadmap
The Panda Cup 2025 is an important test of the competitive spirit and professional level of U22 Vietnam before the road ahead. From the results and performance quality in Chengdu, the coaching team will have more practical data to optimize personnel selection, adjust the competition plan and prepare for the goal of SEA Games 33 as well as the final round of U23 Asia 2026.
