The age range for participating in men’s soccer has not yet been agreed upon
Thai media reported that, according to the proposal of the Football Federation of Thailand (FAT) to the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), the host country of SEA Games 33 wants to reserve the men’s football content for players in the tournament. age 22. In addition, according to this proposal, players over the age of 22 will not be added to men’s soccer teams participating in the Southeast Asian Games. The reason why Thailand wants the age group to participate in SEA Games 33 is the U.22 age group, with the aim of welcoming the U.23 Asian football tournament in 2026.
Vi Hao (right) is 22 years old this year, old enough to attend the 33rd SEA Games in 2025 and the U.23 Asian Championship in 2026.
It is important to know that the ages participating in men’s soccer at the SEA Games are not the same. For example, at SEA Games 30 in 2019 (held in the Philippines) and SEA Games 31 in 2022 (held in Vietnam), the age limit is U.23, and each team is added 3 players. 23 year old player. But at the 32nd SEA Games in 2023 held in Cambodia, teams cannot add players over the age of 23.
Normally, the Southeast Asian Sports Council will approve the regulations for sports and competitions at the SEA Games, after consulting with the Olympic Committees of member countries. However, as usual, the voices of the host countries of each congress are very important at regional sports council meetings. Therefore, once host Thailand proposes a plan to use the U.22 force to compete at SEA Games 33, teams in Southeast Asia can start calculating the force according to the above age groups.
Vietnam and Indonesia have suitable forces available
Indonesia will benefit from the proposals of FAT and SAT, because Indonesia will almost use the U22 force to participate in the AFF Cup 2024. 22/24 Indonesian players participating in the Southeast Asian football championship are in the age group just mentioned. It seems that young players from the land of thousands of islands have had an important “trial by fire” before SEA Games 33.
Vietnamese youth football aims to win gold medal at SEA Games 33
How is the Vietnamese team’s personnel?
As for Vietnamese football, even if the U.22 or U.23 forces are entitled to participate in the upcoming SEA Games, our strength will hardly change significantly.
Most of the best young players in Vietnamese football are at the age of 22, such as goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien, Doan Huy Hoang (both 22 years old), Cao Van Binh (21 years old), defender Le Nguyen Hoang, Nguyen Manh Hung, Nguyen Bao Long (20 years old), Nguyen Hong Phuc, Ho Van Cuong (22 years old), midfielder Khuat Van Khang, Nguyen Van Truong, Nguyen Thai Son, Nguyen Duc Viet, Nguyen Phi Hoang (both 22 years old), strikers Bui Vi Hao, Nguyen Quoc Viet, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Tran Ngoc Son (both 22 years old), Nguyen Dinh Bac (21 years old)…
Only a few faces were eliminated, which is quite unfortunate, if the age group participating in SEA Games 33 is U.22, instead of U.23, the most notable of these is goalkeeper Nguyen Van Viet (23 years old, currently playing for SLNA Club).
With the above force, the U22 Vietnam team is capable of competing for the gold medal in men’s soccer at the Southeast Asian Games this year. It is worth noting that Vietnam’s U22 force has quite a lot of experience in international competition. Trung Kien, Vi Hao, Khuat Van Khang, Thai Son, Van Truong, Dinh Bac, and Quoc Viet have played for the Vietnamese team at different stages. Meanwhile, Duc Viet, Thanh Nhan, Van Binh, Nguyen Hoang, Manh Hung each participated in the U.20 Asian finals in 2023, or attended the U.23 Asian finals in 2024.
Compared to professional quality and international competition experience, young Vietnamese football players today are not inferior to players of the same age in the region.
