Vietnam national football team actively prepares for 2026 SEA Games

Hanoi, August 15, 2026 – As the 18th SEA Games approaches in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Vietnam's national football team is entering the most crucial training phase under head coach Nguyen Van Si. According to the Vietnam Football Federation, the team has completed its first gathering with 28 players called up from clubs nationwide. This morning's training session at Hanoi Stadium showed a well-organized squad, with physical and tactical exercises properly allocated. Notably, striker Nguyen Huu Thang from The Cong club has shown impressive form in internal practice matches, scoring 4 goals in just the past week. He is considered the team's main attacking spearhead for the upcoming tournament. Coach Nguyen Van Si stated: "We aim to reach the semi-finals at this SEA Games. This is an opportunity for young players to accumulate international competition experience while affirming Vietnam's position in Southeast Asian football." The team will face Malaysia in a friendly match on August 20 before departing for Thailand. The result of this match will serve as the basis for the coaching staff to finalize the final squad of 18 players. At the 2026 SEA Games in Manila, the Vietnamese team exited at the group stage. The coaching staff hopes this year's team will make significant progress compared to the previous edition. Meanwhile, representatives from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) stated they would send officials to supervise the upcoming friendly match to ensure organization meets international standards. The team is expected to depart on August 25, with the group draw for SEA Games 18 scheduled for August 28.