2026 AFC U23 Championship: A New Normal State

24/12/2025 15:47:00 FieldFrenzy

The 2026 AFC U23 Championship occurring right after the SEA Games final somewhat moderates the excitement from the gold medal won in Thailand. For Coach Kim Sang Sik and his squad, they must find ways to control their happiness to prioritize concentration. For the public, this quiet period also allows a more realistic evaluation of the U23 players.

The manner in which Vietnam’s U22 reached the summit in the SEA Games 33 final was certainly an incredible drama, generating a powerful “thrill” that easily unleashed emotions. But honestly, our excellence only arrived after we were lucky not to concede additional goals in the first half.

U22 Thailand missed an earlier chance to finish the match decisively. Maybe they were complacent, or perhaps they weren’t as skilled as their seniors. Regardless, Vietnam’s U22 had definite luck by not allowing further goals.

Without the AFC U23 Championship, recalling that detail would be somewhat awkward because in a prolonged celebratory atmosphere, few paid attention to what happened. However, the context Vietnam’s U23 will soon face is very different; the task is much tougher, and we need more than the luck we had at SEA Games 33. The AFC U23 Championship brings everything back to a new normal for Vietnam’s U23.

Because realistically, the current U23 generation is still far from expectations. Winning the SEA Games gold is basically just the starting point for a journey of growth, with the destination being the dream of qualifying for the 2030 World Cup. This is the generation of players expected to serve that goal, so theoretically, being Southeast Asian champions or SEA Games winners doesn’t mean much.

Vietnam’s U22 during their first training session yesterday afternoon (December 23) preparing for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. Photo: Minh Dân

Seven years ago, starting from the runners-up position at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, Coach Park Hang Seo’s U23 generation completed a full journey, with their best achievements stopping at the Asian Cup quarterfinals and ranking among the top 12 teams in World Cup qualifiers. That period also included two SEA Games gold medals. These are milestones that any future U23 generation must reach before realistically considering bigger dreams.

Therefore, the victory over U22 Thailand is a success, but in terms of goals, it only fulfills the gold medal mission, which was missed two years ago under Coach Philippe Troussier. Six current U22 players participated in Cambodia two years ago, and most have yet to make notable progress at club or national team levels. In summary, from SEA Games 32 to SEA Games 33, we have only covered a very short distance.

Vietnam’s U23 received special good news before their opening match at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.

From SEA Games 33 to the AFC U23 Championship and beyond, the outcome is still uncertain. It must be remembered that in the previous two AFC U23 Championships (2022, 2024), we played well, advancing past the group stages but failing to replicate the 2018 achievements. Simply accomplishing similar tasks is already a great challenge for Coach Kim Sang Sik, who is leading a team at an Asian-level tournament for the first time.

The Korean coach had a successful 2025, capturing all regional titles and basically completing the mission of restoring Vietnamese football to a normal state like during the era of compatriot Park Hang Seo. What establishes his reputation will begin in 2026, with the AFC U23 Championship and the Asian Cup qualifying match against Malaysia…

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