The team is scheduled to play two friendly matches during their training in China’s Nanjing before flying home on October 19.

The team consists of the country’s best young players, who helped Vietnam reach place third at the International U-21 football tournament in Hue City last week.

National strikers Phan Thanh Binh and Nguyen Quy Suu did not join their teammates as they had to deal with personal matters, said the team’s coach Mai Duc Chung.

The team also have another four injured players – Nguyen Van Khai, Nguyen Duc Thien – top scorer of the International U-21 football tournament – Truong Dac Khanh and Nguyen Trong Binh, who are still however attending the training.

Vietnam will play teams from Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kazakhtan and Malaysia, competing in a round-robin format in two groups at the Merdeka Cup.

After the cup, the team will play a friendly game against a team of former Brazilian stars including Paulo Sergio, Ze Carlos and Cesar Sampaio. It will also compete in the Grand Royal Challenge in Myanmar and the International Binh Duong Television Cup next month.

The U22-team will be the main squad competing in the 25^th Southeast Asian Games in Laos next December.