Nguyen Dinh Bac's chance to compete is over, he lost his spot in a heartbreaking manner, and the reason is revealed to be surprising.

Having missed out on the continental stage while at the peak of his form, Dinh Bac's absence is not only a low point in his personal career but also the most regrettable loss for Vietnamese football at the upcoming Games.

The 11th meeting of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), 9th term, has officially finalized the personnel plan for upcoming international competitions. A landmark decision has been made: the Vietnam U21 team will represent Vietnam at the 2026 Asian Games (Asiad).

A strategic move for the future.

Instead of fielding the strongest U23 team, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) chose to "skip" the U21 age group. This is seen as a long-term strategy to prepare the most elite successor force for the 34th SEA Games in Malaysia in 2027. Providing young players with early experience in continental competitions helps Vietnamese football ensure continuity in training and avoid a generational gap.

A sense of regret for the "golden generation" of SEA Games 33.

However, this decision also brings some regrettable setbacks. The stars who recently made significant contributions to Vietnam's gold medal win at the 33rd SEA Games will officially lose their chance to compete at the 2026 Asian Games. Players in their prime, such as Nguyen Dinh Bac, Trung Kien, and Ly Duc, will miss next year's Asian Games because they no longer meet the age requirements of the new plan.

In particular, the case of striker Nguyen Dinh Bac has left fans feeling disappointed. The 22-year-old striker from Nghe An province had a brilliant 2025, making a significant contribution to the historic "treble": winning the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, securing a gold medal at the SEA Games, and qualifying for the 2026 U23 Asian Championship Finals.

The absence of a star player like Dinh Bac, who is currently in explosive form, from the Asian Games is a professional loss, but it is a necessary sacrifice for the overall development of Vietnamese football.

Heading to Qatar: The challenge at the AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Putting aside the disappointments from the Asian Games plans, the focus is now on Qatar. On December 26th, the core of the Vietnam U22 team officially departed for training. Under the guidance of coach Kim Sang-sik, the team will undergo an important training period to improve their physical fitness and refine their technical and tactical skills.

The highlight of the training camp was a closed-door friendly match against the Syrian U23 team. This was the final "test" for Coach Kim to review the team's coordination and assess the personnel before entering the "group of death" at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Exciting match schedule

The challenge for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team at the upcoming tournament is immense, with a packed schedule against formidable West Asian rivals: January 6th: Facing U23 Jordan. January 9th: Clashing with U23 Kyrgyzstan. January 12th: Final group stage match against host nation U23 Saudi Arabia.

Despite future personnel changes, the ultimate goal remains to create a surprise at the continental tournament. Fans are hoping that the resilience of the SEA Games champions will help Vietnam overcome this challenging group. Saying goodbye to the dream of the 2026 Asian Games, much to the surprise of many, Dinh Bac is perhaps the name that leaves the most regret, as a brilliant talent had to stop at the threshold of the continent's biggest competition.

Dinh Bac, the hot boy of Vietnam's U22 team, caused Malaysia's defeat and received praise from coach Kim Sang-sik. Tuyết Linh17:28:14 12/12/2025Relive the brilliant performance of Nguyen Dinh Bac, who played a major role in two goals, helping U22 Vietnam easily overcome U22 Malaysia and secure a place in the semi-finals of the SEA Games 33.