AFC continues to deliver an exciting message about Vietnam U23

Before the kickoff of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup Finals, the Vietnam U23 squad was surprisingly praised highly by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), reflecting the growing prominence of Vietnamese youth football across Asia.

As part of promotional activities for the upcoming tournament in Saudi Arabia, the official AFC fanpage posted a video showing a recent training session of Vietnam U23 under the guidance of coach Kim Sang Sik.

Notably, AFC added a comment in Vietnamese with a friendly and humorous tone, emphasizing that: "Vietnam U23 at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup Finals is not to be underestimated! Let’s get to work". This style quickly caught the attention of domestic fans and also demonstrated the respect AFC holds for the red-shirted team.

Beyond social media, AFC also published an analysis of the teams participating in the tournament, placing Vietnam U23 among the contenders likely to compete for the championship. This assessment surprised many, as such lists are usually reserved for Asia’s football powerhouses like Japan, South Korea, or Saudi Arabia. Vietnam’s inclusion highlights AFC’s high regard for the team’s strength, squad depth, and development potential under coach Kim Sang Sik.

Compared to Vietnam, AFC’s evaluations of other teams in Group A vary significantly. Jordan is seen as a team capable of going far, while Kyrgyzstan is considered the weakest in the group, mainly aiming to make an impression at the tournament. This further underscores Vietnam U23’s strong position in this year’s competition.

During the media campaign for the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, Vietnam is one of the teams most frequently mentioned by AFC. Besides posts about the current squad, AFC also reshared the emotional final between Vietnam and Uzbekistan in 2018, along with praises for the historic journey led by coach Park Hang Seo’s generation. These images and memories reaffirm the special mark Vietnamese youth football has made in Asia.

According to the schedule, the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup will take place from January 6 to January 24 in Saudi Arabia. Vietnam U23 has the honor of playing the opening match against Jordan U23 in Group A. Then the host Saudi Arabia will face Kyrgyzstan in the other group match. With AFC’s special attention and positive pre-tournament evaluations, Vietnam U23 stands a great chance to continue proving themselves and meet fans’ expectations.