Vietnam U22 team departs for the CFA Team China – Panda Cup 2025 international tournament
This morning (November 10), the Vietnam U22 team departed for China to take part in the CFA Team China – Panda Cup 2025 international football tournament.
10/11/2025 14:55:44
The tournament, organized by the Chinese Football Association (CFA), will take place in Chengdu (Sichuan Province, China) from November 12 to 18, 2025, featuring four U22 national teams: Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Korea, and host China. This high-quality competition serves as an important warm-up for the teams in their preparation for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026. For the Vietnam U22 team, the Panda Cup 2025 is a valuable opportunity to gain international experience, allowing the coaching staff to further refine the squad, test player options and tactics, and build momentum ahead of the final preparation phase for the 33rd SEA Games.
Under the assignment of the VFF Standing Committee, Vice President Trần Anh Tú serves as Head of the Vietnam U22 delegation for the tournament. Assistant coach Đinh Hồng Vinh continues to take charge as Acting Head Coach while Head Coach Kim Sang Sik leads the National Team in preparation for the second-leg match against Laos in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
The Vietnam U22 squad features the best players carefully selected through multiple training camps and international competitions. Several players with senior national team experience, such as Trần Trung Kiên, Khuất Văn Khang, and Nguyễn Đình Bắc, are included in the roster alongside key contributors to Vietnam’s U23 ASEAN Championship 2025 triumph and AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 qualification campaign — including Nguyễn Phi Hoàng, Nguyễn Xuân Bắc, Lê Văn Thuận, Nguyễn Thanh Nhàn, Nguyễn Ngọc Mỹ, and Phạm Lý Đức.
Notably, striker Bùi Vĩ Hào has returned after a long recovery from injury. His comeback — as a forward from Becamex Bình Dương FC who has previously represented the senior national team — is expected to strengthen Vietnam U22’s attacking options and add valuable experience as the team aims for the gold medal at the 33rd SEA Games.
As several players are still involved in Round 11 of the LPBank V.League 2025/26, the Vietnam U22 team has been divided into three groups for their trip to China. Group 1, departing from Hanoi, includes the coaching staff and 12 players from PVF-CAND, Thể Công Viettel, Becamex TP.HCM, SLNA, SHB Đà Nẵng, and Hải Phòng. Group 2 leaves from Ho Chi Minh City with eight players representing HAGL, Đông Á Thanh Hóa, Công An TP.HCM, and Ninh Bình. Group 3, consisting of six players from Hà Nội FC, CAHN, and Hồng Lĩnh Hà Tĩnh, will depart one day later.
According to the schedule, the Vietnam U22 team will have only one training session on the afternoon of November 11 to finalize their preparations before their opening match against China U22 at 2:30 p.m. (Vietnam time) on November 12. This is considered a major challenge for Acting Head Coach Đinh Hồng Vinh and his players. However, with most of the squad maintaining good form through regular V.League competition and having trained together during several camps since late 2024, the team is expected to start confidently and perform well in this high-quality international tournament.
The primary goal for Vietnam U22 at the Panda Cup 2025 remains to gain more international experience, refine the squad and playing style, and build readiness for the 33rd SEA Games and the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals.
