U22 Vietnam vs China: Viktor Le, Dinh Bac not registered
Due to physical condition, U22 Vietnam did not register Viktor Le and Dinh Bac for the match against U22 China at 6:35 p.m. within the framework of Panda Cup 2025; these two players are expected to return against U22 Uzbekistan on November 15.
Vietnam U22 entered the opening match of Panda Cup 2025 at 6:35 p.m. on November 12 against host China U22 without registering two important attackers Viktor Le and Nguyen Dinh Bac. Center back Dinh Quang Kiet was also not on the list of players. Acting head coach Dinh Hong Vinh brought 26 players to Chengdu.
The opening match and three notable absences
According to the registration list, U22 Vietnam did not include Dinh Bac, Dinh Quang Kiet and Viktor Le for the match against U22 China. Dinh Bac and Viktor Le were confirmed not to register due to physical problems. Both are pillars of U23 Vietnam in 2025, contributing to the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship and the ticket to the 2026 Asian U23 qualifiers.
Dinh Quang Kiet is a 1m95 tall center back who just scored his first goal for HAGL in round 11 of V-League. Viktor Le is the only overseas Vietnamese player in the current U22 Vietnam squad.
Why are Viktor Le and Dinh Bac not registered?
The group of players from Hanoi FC, Ha Tinh and CAHN (including Dinh Bac and Viktor Le) competed in round 11 of V-League on the evening of November 10, and only traveled to Chengdu on the morning of November 11, so their physical condition was not guaranteed.
In the only training session before the match, Le Viktor, Nguyen Dinh Bac and Minh Phuc only did light recovery exercises. The remaining players were reinforced with tactical exercises, team coordination skills and the ability to quickly change state to prepare for the opening match against U22 China. In the competition list, Minh Phuc was on the bench, while Dinh Bac and Viktor Le were not registered.
Human resource planning and the road ahead
It is likely that Dinh Bac and Viktor Le will soon return to the squad in the second friendly match against U22 Uzbekistan at 2:30 p.m. (Vietnam time) on November 15 and the final match against U22 Korea on November 18.
Panda Cup 2025 is of great significance as U23 Vietnam will compete with strong opponents such as U23 China, South Korea and Uzbekistan. Immediately after the tournament, the U23 Vietnam team will enter the general training phase for the 33rd SEA Games from November 23 in Vung Tau, before leaving for Thailand on December 2 to attend the Congress.
In a related development, U22 Uzbekistan lost to South Korea in the opening match of the 2025 Panda Cup.
Match schedule of U22 Vietnam at Panda Cup 2025
- November 12: U22 Vietnam vs U22 China, 6:35 p.m.
- November 15: U22 Vietnam vs U22 Uzbekistan, 2:30 p.m. (Vietnam time)
- November 18: U22 Vietnam vs U22 Korea
