Identifying the first striker called up to Vietnam U23

Ninh Binh Club confirms Quoc Viet is named in the Vietnam U23 call-up roster.

Besides Chung Nguyen Do, Quoc Viet is the next player confirmed to be summoned to the Vietnam U23 team according to information from his club. Thus, these will be the two players from Ninh Binh Club selected by coach Kim Sang Sik among the total 24 players of Vietnam U23.

Quoc Viet has appeared in both early V-League matches for Ninh Binh, coming off the bench each time but has yet to make a significant impact. Once highly anticipated, the striker born in 2003 has recently shown a decline in form. Previously, in the 2025 Southeast Asia U23 Championship, Quoc Viet also failed to score any goals.

Known as the king of youth tournaments and frequently shining in youth categories, Quoc Viet did not even play a single minute in the final of the 2025 Southeast Asia U23 Championship against Indonesia. Clearly, this striker needs to regain form soon as the upcoming 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers are very important.

However, coach Kim Sang Sik does not have many options for the striker position in the current Vietnam U23 lineup. Dinh Bac and Thanh Nhan tend to play more on the wings. Dinh Bac performed well as a forward in the 2025 Southeast Asia U23 Championship, but Quoc Viet remains a quality and experienced choice.

Vietnam U23 will host Group C of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship qualifiers along with three opponents: Singapore, Yemen, and Bangladesh. All matches will take place at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho from September 3 to 9.

The full Vietnam U23 squad list is likely to be announced soon. Overall, there won’t be many changes compared to the team that recently won the 2025 Southeast Asia U23 Championship. Coach Kim Sang Sik has limited time to scout new faces while many key Vietnam U23 players continue to perform well domestically.