Vietnam's U23 team will host a four-nation friendly tournament at Pleiku Arena in Gia Lai from 10 to 14 November, facing U23 sides from Thailand, Qatar and Singapore. According to Thanh Nien, the winners take home 100,000 USD (about 2.6 billion dong), and every match will be broadcast live across FPT Play's platforms and on VTV6. The event marks the start of a new cycle for Vietnam's U23s under interim head coach Dinh Hong Vinh, who is standing in while Kim Sang-sik leads the senior team in friendlies.
Why the teams are taking it seriously
Qatar were the first to submit their squad, Thanh Nien reports, including several players from the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. For all four teams, 2027 is a busy year. Key dates as reported by Thanh Nien, compiled by KBVN+:
| Expected timing | Competition | Relevant to |
|---|---|---|
| 7-15 June 2027 | 2028 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers | Asian U23 teams including Qatar and Thailand |
| July 2027 | Southeast Asian U23 Championship | Thailand, Vietnam |
| September 2027 | SEA Games 34 | Thailand, Vietnam |
| 2028 | AFC U23 Asian Cup finals, doubling as qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics | Qualified teams |
The previous Vietnam U23 generation won the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 title and the 33rd SEA Games, and finished 3rd at the 2026 U23 Asian Cup. Several of those players, including goalkeeper Trung Kien, centre-back Nhat Minh and forward Dinh Bac, have moved up to the senior team, so the tournament in Gia Lai is a chance for newcomers.
An attack to watch
Thanh Nien believes the defence needs time but the attack is promising. Nguyen Le Phat, 19, scored against the UAE in the quarter-finals of the U23 Asian Cup earlier this year and has started all 5 of Ninh Binh's games this season, scoring 2. Williams Minh Hoang (born 2007) and Ngo Dang Khoa (born 2006) were fast-tracked into the senior squad by Kim Sang-sik for the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, and SLNA midfielder Nguyen Quang Vinh has 3 league goals.
A second Thanh Nien piece highlights the Hoang Anh Gia Lai connection: Dinh Hong Vinh spent 10 years in the HAGL academy system, and 19-year-old centre-back Dinh Quang Kiet and forwards Nguyen Minh Tam and Tran Gia Bao all came through it. These are players named by the newspaper, not an official squad list.
Where to watch
Thanh Nien lists 8 FPT Play platforms (terrestrial, cable, satellite, IPTV, internet, mobile, public screenings and social media) plus VTV6, 9 options in total.
What comes next
The tournament opens on 10 November and ends on 14 November in Pleiku; a match-by-match schedule has not yet been published in the sources. Follow updates on our Vietnam national team fixtures page.