U22 Vietnam has officially kicked off their crucial preparation phase for the 33rd SEA Games
On the afternoon of 24 November, the Vietnam U22 national team held its first training session at Ba Ria Stadium (Ba Ria Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), officially kicking off an important preparation phase for the 33rd SEA Games.
25/11/2025 15:01:48
In this training session, head coach Kim Sang Sik had 25 out of the 28 called-up players available. The group of players who joined the team today had just completed their Round of 16 matches in the 2025/26 National Cup and were given a light recovery session.
The remaining three players — Phạm Lý Đức, Nguyễn Đình Bắc, and Phạm Minh Phúc — will join the squad on 28 November, after representing CAHN FC in their AFC Champions League Two 2025/26 match against Beijing FC.
This is good news for Vietnam U22, as according to the original plan, Đình Bắc and Minh Phúc would only have been able to rejoin the U22 team from 4 December, following CAHN FC’s match against Buriram United on 3 December in the 2025/26 ASEAN Club Championship.
Before the training session, striker Bùi Vĩ Hào — who has just returned after a long injury layoff — shared with the media his emotions and determination for this special call-up. Vĩ Hào admitted that returning to the Vietnam U22 squad brought him a “sense of happiness and honor,” as this could be the final SEA Games for many U23-age players in the current team.
When asked about the team’s recent journey at the CFA Team China – Panda Cup 2025, Vĩ Hào explained that he only played the final minutes of the two matches to regain his touch and improve his fitness. More importantly, it allowed him to reintegrate with the U22 squad after a long absence. The young Becamex HCMC forward shared that he no longer feels hesitant in challenges, as he had already undergone training matches and fitness work at his club beforehand.
Speaking about his chances of participating in the 33rd SEA Games, Vĩ Hào shared candidly: “The final squad hasn’t been decided yet, but if I am selected, this will be my first SEA Games. I will try my best, but I won’t set too many expectations because I’ve only just returned and still need time to regain my best playing form.”
Nevertheless, Vĩ Hào affirmed that the whole team is very confident in their goal of winning the SEA Games 33 gold medal. He emphasized: “We have gone through many tournaments together and achieved success. We are fully confident in aiming for the highest target.”
According to the plan for the coming days, coach Kim Sang Sik and his players will continue to work on tactics, fine-tune the lineup, and assess the form of each position before finalizing the official list of 23 players who will travel to Thailand for this edition of the Games.
