Two U23 football teams to be set up for different missions

One team will participate in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers, while the other will compete in two tournaments, namely the 19th Asia Games (ASIAD 19) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) U23 Championship 2023.

The decision is part of a plan to develop a strong pool of players for the national men’s football team, aiming at long-term goals, while also taking into consideration the schedule of international tournaments in 2023.

The team that will compete at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers will gather the most excellent players in the U23 age group, to be led by coach Philippe Troussier.

Outstanding individuals from this squad will be selected to the national team for the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers which will commence in November this year.

Meanwhile, the other team will consist of core players from the U20 age group, and some U23 players. They will play under the guidance of coach Hoang Anh Tuan.

The decision to establish the teams has been approved by the VFF Executive Committee, and approved in principle by the General Department of Sports and Physical Training under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, VFF Vice President Tran Anh Tu said.

As scheduled, the team Tuan will begin their training on July 28 to prepare for the AFF U23 Championship 2023, which will take place from August 17 to August 26 in Thailand. After that, it will enter another training phase to prepare for ASIAD 19 in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.

The team led by Troussier will train concurrently with the national team during the FIFA Days in September after the V.League 2023 season concludes.