Football 

HÀ NỘI — Although he is the youngest member of the squad, Nguyễn Lê Phát has become a shinning star in Việt Nam's brilliant performances at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia.

Việt Nam have won two matches to lead Group A. Just one point from the last game against the hosts on January 12 is enough for them to qualify to the knock-out stage.

Phát and his teammates have been asked to play every match as if it is a final to ensure the team's success.

“Our goal is to beat Saudi Arabia to be the group winner. We will compete with strong focus and the highest determination,” said Phát.

The 18-year-old was named in Việt Nam's original squad in preparation for the tournament but he was dropped when Kim finalised his 23-player list.

However, after an injury to Bùi Vĩ Hào, Phát was added to the team and he hasn't disappointed the coaching board, rising from a backup option, to a permanent member of the starting 11 in the first two matches.

He played as a striker in the Jordan match when Việt Nam won 2-0 and an attacking midfielder against Kyrgyzstan in Việt Nam's 2-1 victory.

His pace and clever movement forced Kyrgyzstan defender Mirzalimi Uulu to bring him down in the box, earning Việt Nam a penalty that captain Khuất Văn Khang calmly converted to open the scoring.

Flashscore gave him 7.9 points, the second highest of all the Vietnamese players. 

Although he hasn't scored a goal yet for the U23s, his technique and football brain were recognised from an early aged.

Phát was a 'product' of the PVF football training centre. The Lâm Đồng-Province born star was a member of the national U17 and U19 teams. He was one of the most outstanding players of the National U21 Championship 2025 earning the MVP award of the tournament.

He is a regular player for Ninh Bình FC in the National Cup and the V-League 1 in which Ninh Bình top, unbeaten all season.

Phát said in addition to his own efforts, he has learned a lot from senior teammate Nguyễn Hoàng Đức who secured three Golden Ball awards.

Other teammates' support and encouragement from his family also motivated him to develop better every day.

"Being included in the official roster was a stroke of luck for me. I have to make the most of this opportunity," said Phát.

"I have to learn from other teammates and coaches. Kim asked me to run more, play confidently and make faster decisions which help me proactively handle the ball at high-speed and avoid aggressive tackles from opponents. 

"I am a young player so I should work twice as hard in training and always strive in every match, doing my best so that Việt Nam can go further in the tournament."

He said the team cohesion was also key to the smooth functioning of Việt Nam as well as the positive, sociable and sharing environment among players that help them better understand each other on the pitch.

"My team and I will consider every match a final where no mistakes are made and any rival is respected. We will do our best to top the group and advance to the last-eight," he said. — VNS