Uzbekistan
At the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, Vietnam's U23 side will meet two contrasting opponents in Group C: Uzbekistan on September 22 and Kuwait on September 15.
Uzbekistan entered the tournament after a 0-2 friendly defeat to China, conceding goals in the 28th and 83rd minutes.
Coach Ravshan Haydarov used the loss as a final test before finalising a 23‑player squad, all born in 2005 or later, comprising three goalkeepers, seven defenders, nine midfielders and four forwards from top Uzbek clubs such as Nasaf, Pakhtakor, Lokomotiv and Olympic MobiUz.
The most prominent name is Muhammadali Urinboev, a Royal Antwerp forward who was the top scorer at the U20 Asian Championship 2025.
Despite the friendly setback, Uzbekistan remains a leading contender in Group C, having already scheduled matches against the Philippines (Sept 15) and Kuwait (Sept 18) before facing Vietnam.
Kuwait
Kuwait, meanwhile, is widely regarded as the weaker of Vietnam's group rivals.
The Kuwaiti U23 team has not qualified for the Asian Cup since 2024 and missed the 2019 and 2023 Asian Games.
Recent international exposure is limited to a 1-6 loss to Japan (Sept 9 2025) and a 1-0 win over Afghanistan (Sept 6 2025) in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Their last encounter with Vietnam was at the 2024 U23 Asian Cup, where Vietnam won 3-1, with goals from Nguyễn Văn Tùng and Bùi Vĩ Hào.
Vietnam will rely on defender Lê Nguyên Hoàng, likely replacing Nguyễn Minh Nhật, and striker Nguyễn Quốc Việt, who is expected to lead the attack in Japan.
Vietnam
Vietnam's own U23 squad, fresh from a third‑place finish at the 2026 U23 Asian Cup and notable victories over South Korea, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will aim to secure one of the top two spots in the group to advance to the quarter‑finals.