U23 Vietnam says goodbye to key player ahead of Asiad 2026

The U23 Vietnam national team has officially lost one of its most experienced players ahead of the 2026 Asian Games. Midfielder Nguyen Cong Phuong – a key contributor to the team's recent successes – suffered a muscle injury and thigh edema and could not recover in time to travel to China. His absence is a significant blow, as the squad now relies on just 14 of its most experienced players, including some as young as 20 years old. To replace him, head coach Dinh Hong Vinh was forced to call up midfielder Hoang Quang Dung from lower-tier club Hue. Quang Dung had previously been summoned for a late-July training camp in preparation for the Asiad, but this last-minute promotion highlights the alarming lack of depth in the U23 Vietnam squad. Beyond the injury, the team faces a crisis in goal. Hanoi Club has not yet agreed to release goalkeeper Pham Dinh Hai. If negotiations fail, U23 Vietnam would be left with only two goalkeepers for the entire tournament – a risky gamble. VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu acknowledged: 'Replacing a goalkeeper is not simple because specific confirmation of injury status is needed from the organizing committee.' The preparation timeline is extremely compressed. According to the schedule, the team assembles on September 12, departs for China on September 13, and plays its first match against U23 Kuwait on September 15 – just four days to integrate the squad, install tactics, and reach match fitness. Defender Dang Tuan Phong will only join the squad on match day, once the team has already arrived in Japan. Despite these challenges, coach Dinh Hong Vinh and the VFF are cautiously optimistic. In a press statement, a VFF representative emphasised that the coaching staff will 'carefully calculate to finalise tactics, team cohesion, and match fitness.' However, with domestic clubs failing to align their schedules and the high expectations stemming from recent gold medals at the SEA Games 33 and a third-place finish at the AFC U23 Asian Championship 2026, the pressure is immense. U23 Vietnam made history by winning the 2026 AFF U23 Championship, the SEA Games 33 gold, and finishing third at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship. Yet this Asiad campaign begins with multiple obstacles: injury, a goalkeeper deadlock, minimal preparation time, and late-arriving players. It is a difficult puzzle for the coaching staff and the federation. Can a team that once shocked the continent overcome its internal troubles? The opening match against U23 Kuwait will be the first test of this incomplete preparation. Fans can only hope for the fighting spirit and experience of these young champions.