The U23 goalkeeper burst with joy upon officially debuting for the Vietnam national team.

Goalkeeper Trần Trung Kiên has officially made his first appearance for the Vietnam national team in an official competition.

Compared to the first leg, although Coach Kim Sang Sik largely retained the core lineup of the Vietnam national team against Nepal, there were some notable changes. Among them, goalkeeper Trung Kiên and Hiểu Minh started from the beginning, marking their first appearances for the national team.

As expected, Trung Kiên was chosen to replace Văn Lâm. The Vietnamese-Korean goalkeeper showed weaknesses in foot skills, and Trung Kiên is a worthy substitute. Despite being quite young, the 2003-born goalkeeper has frequently been called up to the national team, performed well for HAGL, and is now ready to start for Vietnam.

After his first playing time for Vietnam, though he had been called up several times before, including attending the AFF Cup 2024 but only as a substitute, Trung Kiên couldn’t hide his happiness. The young HAGL goalkeeper wrote on his personal Facebook: "First time reaching my dream."

Trung Kiên also received congratulations from many teammates like Duy Mạnh, Đình Bắc, Văn Khang, Thanh Nhàn, Châu Ngọc Quang... and most notably encouragement from goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm. Under Trung Kiên’s post, the Vietnamese-Russian goalkeeper commented:"Congratulations to you."

In his debut match for the national team, Trung Kiên performed quite well, making several solid saves without any personal mistakes. However, in the near future, his chances to start for Vietnam will be limited as Vietnamese-Korean goalkeepers like Filip Nguyễn and Patrik Lê Giang (soon to be naturalized) are called up, along with senior players like Văn Lâm and Đình Triệu.

Nevertheless, allowing Trung Kiên to start this time shows preparation for the future, as the HAGL goalkeeper is currently the top choice for Vietnam U23 in two important upcoming tournaments: SEA Games 33 and the 2026 U23 Asian Championship.