The U23 Southeast Asian Championship has been held four times, with Vietnam winning the last two (in 2022 and 2023), making them the most decorated team in the tournament (Thailand and Indonesia each have one title). At this year's tournament in Indonesia, Coach Kim Sang-sik has been tasked with leading Vietnam to a hat-trick of titles.

"I feel some pressure as Vietnam has won the U23 Southeast Asian Championship twice in a row," Coach Kim Sang-sik said at the pre-tournament press conference in Indonesia on 15/7. "My players and I will strive for the best possible result."

Coach Kim Sang-sik attends the pre-tournament press conference for the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship in Indonesia, on the afternoon of 15/7/2025. Photo: Doan Huynh

Advancing past the group stage is considered well within reach for Kim Sang-sik's team. They will face Laos on 19/7 and Cambodia on 22/7 in Group B. In Group A, host nation Indonesia will compete against Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei. Group C consists of Thailand, Timor Leste, and Myanmar. The teams will play a round-robin format, with the top three teams and the best second-placed team advancing to the semi-finals.

However, Coach Kim isn't taking anything for granted. He expects his players to respect every opponent, enter each match with the highest level of focus, and aim for victory in every game. The 1976-born coach identified Thailand and host nation Indonesia as the two main contenders for the championship.

"Thailand has good individual skills and a strong team," Coach Kim said. "Indonesia has speed and physical strength. They are both formidable opponents on the road to the championship."

Cambodia's coach Koji Gyotoku, Laos' coach Ha Hyeok-jun and coach Kim Sang-sik (from left to right) attend the pre-tournament press conference for the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship in Indonesia, on the afternoon of 15/7/2025. Photo: Doan Huynh

With consistent performance, Vietnam has been a perennial contender in Southeast Asian youth tournaments for many years. If they win the cup, the South Korean coach could become the first coach to win the Southeast Asian championship at both the national team and U23 levels in a single year. This is also an opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate the quality of its youth development compared to other countries that are increasingly opting for naturalized players in their national teams.

18 of the 23 Vietnamese players selected for the tournament currently play in the V-League. Many of them are regulars in the national team, including goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien, midfielders Khuat Van Khang and Nguyen Van Truong, and forward Nguyen Dinh Bac. Although designated as the U23 team, it's effectively an U22 squad with players born in 2003 or later, in preparation for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 U23 Asian Cup.

Coach Kim believes that young players should be enthusiastic and attentive to their coaches. "They have the ability to grasp concepts quickly to build a team playing style, and they have passion and motivation. I really want to see them improve every day," he said.

In preparation for the tournament, the Vietnam U23 team trained for two weeks in Ba Ria Vung Tau (now TP HCM). On 14/7, the team traveled to Indonesia and will have four days to acclimatize before their opening match against Laos.

Hieu Luong