Will U23 Vietnam face U23 Thailand at the AFC U23 Asian Cup?
There is a strong possibility that U23 Vietnam and U23 Thailand will share the same group in the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.
On the morning of September 29, the Asian Football Confederation officially announced the draw ceremony for the group stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, which will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to 25. The draw will take place on October 2 in Malaysia.
According to the seeding, U23 Vietnam is placed in Pot 2 along with U23 South Korea, Australia, and Qatar. Meanwhile, the other Southeast Asian team, U23 Thailand, is in Pot 3 with Jordan, UAE, and Iran. Pot 1 includes Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Japan, and Iraq. Pot 4 consists of China, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, and Lebanon.
Therefore, there is a real chance that U23 Vietnam and U23 Thailand will be drawn into the same group since they are in different seeding pots. Ideally, if grouped with Iraq, Thailand (or Jordan), and Kyrgyzstan, the Vietnamese team led by coach Kim Sang Sik would have a good chance to advance. However, they could also end up in a "group of death" with Japan, Iran, and Syria (or China).
This marks the sixth consecutive time that U23 Vietnam has qualified for the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals. Since the tournament’s inception in 2016, U23 Vietnam has never missed the final stage. Their most notable achievement was the historic runner-up finish in Thường Châu in 2018.
The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup will take place shortly after the conclusion of the 33rd SEA Games in December. This timing is considered advantageous for U23 Vietnam because continuous competition helps players maintain their form and reduces the time needed to adapt to the team's tactics. However, managing player fitness will pose a significant challenge for coach Kim Sang Sik and his staff.
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