Vietnam U23's four-team tournament in Gia Lai from November 10–14 presents a selection question as the team prepares for the 2027-28 cycle. A Thanh Niên analysis weighs immediate tournament ambitions against opportunities for younger players to gain international experience.
Thailand, Qatar and Singapore are listed as the other participating U23 teams. The event also overlaps with the senior national team's planned activity, making the distribution of players between the two squads a relevant issue.
Next cycle changes the age-group requirements
The analysis points to the 2028 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, expected in June 2027, the 34th SEA Games in September 2027 and the Asian finals in early 2028 if Vietnam qualify. Players born in 2005 or later form the eligible generation for those objectives.
That means several members of the recent Asian Games squad cannot be retained throughout the next cycle. The November event could consequently serve as an opportunity to introduce younger alternatives.
Rotation remains a proposed option
Thanh Niên discusses the possibility of experienced players such as Lý Đức, Quốc Cường, Xuân Bắc and Thanh Nhàn moving into senior-team consideration. Such a choice could create additional U23 places for the next generation.
Nguyễn Công Phương, Ngô Đăng Khoa, Trần Gia Bảo and Williams Minh Hoàng are among the younger names considered in the article. These are potential options, rather than an announced squad.
The report lists senior friendlies against Chinese Taipei on November 11 and Kyrgyzstan on November 15. With the programmes close together, Kim Sang-sik's eventual selections will show how the staff balance present competition with preparation for the following years.