Vietnam U23 will be named to replace Iran at CFA 2026?

Iran U23 is likely to withdraw from the 2026 CFA Team China U23 Four Heroes Tournament in Xi'an. Chinese media said that Vietnam U23 is being considered as a replacement, promising to create a great challenge for the host.

On the morning of March 4, Chinese media suddenly published remarkable information related to the 2026 CFA Team China U23 Four Nations Championship held in Xi'an. Specifically, page 163 splashed the headline: "Breaking news! Changes in the Xi'an Four Nations League: Iran U23 team confirms absence, Vietnam U23 team is urgently replaced", making the regional public opinion particularly interested.

According to this source, Iran U23 is likely not to participate in the international friendly tournament due to objective reasons. Before the situation arose, the Chinese Football Federation (CFA) quickly activated the backup plan. The team targeted to replace is Vietnam U23 – a potential representative of Southeast Asia.

Previously, CFA announced the participants of CFA Team China U23 2026 including hosts China, Iran, North Korea and Thailand. The tournament is scheduled to start in Xi'an from March 25. According to the original schedule, Iran U23 will face North Korea (25/3), Thailand (28/3) and China (31/3) respectively. However, in the context of Iran's possible withdrawal, the possibility of Vietnam U23 being invited to take his place is becoming clearer than ever.

If the official invitation is sent and the VFF approves, this will be a quality international competition opportunity for Vietnam U23. The end of March also coincided with the period when coach Kim Sang-sik focused all his efforts on the national team to prepare for the decisive match against Malaysia in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, the Vietnam U23 team can still be summoned with the right force to participate in the tournament in China without affecting the national team's plans.

Participating in CFA Team China U23 2026 will be important in the preparation for Asiad 2026 which will take place in September in Japan. Facing opponents with diverse qualifications and styles such as China, North Korea or Thailand will help Vietnam U23 improve their competitive bravery. improve the ability to control the game as well as handle pressure.

Notably, the Chinese media highly appreciated the potential of the Vietnamese representative. Page 163 said that if they attend, Vietnam U23 will be a real challenge for the home team. The article analyzed: "Vietnam U23 players are very agile, flexible, pass and control the ball well, move flexibly on both wings, and play at high speed.

For Antonio's coaching staff, this is both a loss and a necessity: the opponents at the Asian Games are mainly technical players from Southeast Asia, and playing against Vietnam from the beginning is equivalent to targeted training on how to break down a dense defense. Dispute the wings and control the pace of the game."

The above comments show that Vietnam U23 is being seen as a typical representative of Asian youth football, not only in Southeast Asia but also in the eyes of East Asian experts.

Besides, China's famous football expert Zhu Yi also expressed his support for the plan to invite Vietnam U23 to replace Iran. He assessed: "Vietnam is a good example of youth training in Asia, and their style of play is very similar to East Asian teams, making this a valuable preparation for the group stage of the Asian Games."

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