On November 12, U22 Vietnam will play their opening match of the friendly Panda Cup in Chengdu, China, against host team U22 China. Ahead of this match, the Chinese press is paying special attention to U22 Vietnam.
Tờ Sina khẳng định U22 Việt Nam là đội bóng giàu kinh nghiệm (Ảnh: Minh Quân).
In an analysis of U22 Vietnam’s strength, Sina newspaper commented: “All three opponents – U22 Vietnam, U22 South Korea, and U22 Uzbekistan – are very strong. U22 Vietnam, in particular, highly values this tournament as a crucial testing ground before the 33rd SEA Games.
U22 Vietnam’s strength lies in their fighting spirit. Among the 26 players called up for this tournament, 14 have previously played for the national team. Nine of them recently participated in the Asian Cup qualifiers in October, including key players like Quoc Viet and Khuat Van Khang.
Meanwhile, striker Bui Vi Hao has also recovered from injury. This significantly improves U22 Vietnam’s strength compared to their participation in the friendly tournament in Yancheng (Jiangsu, China) in March. Therefore, if U22 China is not careful, they could suffer a defeat against Coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s team in the opening match of the Panda Cup.”
U22 Việt Nam từng hòa U22 Trung Quốc ở giải giao hữu tại Diêm Thành (Ảnh: Sina).
Sina newspaper also added regarding the home team: “U22 China began their training camp on November 9. The entire squad considers this an important tournament, preparing for the U23 Asian Cup in January 2026. U22 China has called up 30 of their best available players. Many of them are key figures in the campaign to qualify for the 2026 Olympics.
Compared to the squad that participated in the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers in September, U22 China will be without Yu Jinyong and Zhang Yixuan due to injuries. However, several key players like Hu Hetao, Xiang Yuwang, Li Zhenquan, and Bao Shimeng have returned to the team. Notably, midfielder Yimulan is also back after a 7-month injury layoff.”
According to the schedule, in the Panda Cup, U22 Vietnam will face U22 China (November 12), U22 Uzbekistan (November 15), and U22 South Korea (November 18). After the tournament, the entire team will return home to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games in December.
Lịch thi đấu của U22 Việt Nam ở giải giao hữu Panda Cup (Ảnh: VFF).
