U22 Vietnam has bid farewell to three of its players - Bui Vi Hao, Giap Tuan Duong, and Ngo Duc Hoang. Unfortunately, they were unable to attend the 32nd SEA Games as they were eliminated from the official 20 players list and the reserve goalkeeper.
On the morning of April 30, the three players were seen off by coach Philippe Troussier at the Phnom Penh Hotel in Cambodia. Despite their departure, Troussier instructed the players to continue working hard and stay fit, as they still have plenty of opportunities to prove themselves in the future.
Bui Vi Hao, the V.League's top-scoring striker in the U22 component, was one of the unfortunate players to miss out. The An Giang player scored three goals and aimed to score one goal per game in the SEA Games. Nonetheless, Coach Troussier had to make the difficult decision to eliminate the players as part of his job.
The coach stated that the team has the youngest squad in the past 20 years with nine U20 players. Troussier added that he didn't appreciate the players' age but rather their integration and ability, and that they needed to be versatile to succeed.
Despite the loss of three players, U22 Vietnam remains confident and determined to compete in the tournament. The team had a meeting on April 29 to familiarize themselves with the competition space. As per the organizers' requirements, the teams won't be allowed to practice on the Prince field during the tournament.
U22 Vietnam is set to play their first match on April 30 against U22 Laos at the Prince Stadium at 19:00. The team hopes to secure a win and make a strong start to their campaign.
