Vietnam is second shortest team in U23 Asian Cup, just above Thailand

According to official statistics released for the 368 players in the tournament, Vietnam rank last in average weight at 69.87 kg. They are the only team in the tournament to average under 70 kg. Iran lead the physical board with an average weight of 76.13 kg, while Thailand follows closely behind Vietnam as the second-lightest at 70.17 kg.

The Southeast Asian representatives also occupy the bottom spots for height. Thailand’s average height is the tournament’s lowest at 1.7622 m, narrowly trailing Vietnam at 1.7648 m. All other 14 teams boast average heights above 1.78 m, with Iran again topping the list at 1.8296 m.

Southeast Asian teams traditionally struggle with physical stature compared to West, Central and East Asian regions. Vietnam and Thailand are the only two ASEAN teams in the tournament.

Vietnam's squad does feature several tall players, including goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien (1.91 m), defender Le Van Ha (1.84 m) and Pham Ly Duc (1.82 m), while the attack features Bui Vi Hao and Nguyen Dinh Bac, both are 1.8 m tall.

The majority of the squad remains at or below 1.78 m, although Vietnam does not have any player under 1.72 m, while Thailand’s Phon-Ek Maneekorn Jensen stands at just 1.60 m and Saudi Arabia’s Shadi Jouni is 1.65 m.

What Vietnam lacks in size, they make up for in experience. They have the second-highest average age in the tournament at 22.22 years, featuring 13 players born in 2003. Lebanon is the oldest squad at 22.52 years, while Uzbekistan and Japan have opted for younger players, averaging roughly 20 years old. These younger squads are prioritized for the qualification of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Vietnam are one of four nations, alongside Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan, that rely entirely on domestic players. Australia and Lebanon lead the tournament with seven overseas players each. Japan’s squad are composed of J1 League professionals, players from universities like Hosei, Waseda and Meiji and a single European-based striker, Yutaka Michiwaki, who currently plays in Belgium.

Vietnam have been drawn into Group A with a challenging schedule. Their campaign begins with a match on Jan. 6 against Jordan, followed by a clash with Kyrgyzstan on Jan. 9. They conclude the group stage on the 12th against host nation Saudi Arabia. The top two teams from the group will advance to the quarterfinals.