The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) officially announced on the morning of April 17 that Indonesia will host the 2025 AFF U23 Championship. Vietnam is the reigning champion of the tournament.

Initially, AFF had planned for Thailand to host the regional U23 event scheduled for August 2025. However, in its final decision, AFF confirmed that the tournament will be held in Indonesia.

This will mark the first time since 2005 that the archipelago nation officially hosts the U23 Southeast Asian football championship. According to the AFF's schedule, the tournament will take place from July 15 to July 31, 2025.

After four editions of the tournament, Vietnam is the most successful team, having won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.

In recent years, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) and head coach Kim Sang Sik have prioritized youth development, allowing promising young players to gain valuable international experience - and in some cases, even make appearances for the senior national team.

With no other major tournaments overlapping, it is likely that Coach Kim Sang Sik will personally lead the U23 Vietnam team in its quest to defend the title at the upcoming AFF U23 Championship.

Dai Nam