Southeast Asian Student Football Festival

The tournament helps universities in the region strengthen integration, build friendly relationships and cooperate. Photo: NHAT THINH

This is a useful playground, a football festival for university students in Southeast Asia to have the opportunity to exchange and compete in talent, contributing to the development of school football movement in the region.

Inspiring school football

After 3 successful times (2023, 2024, 2025) in organizing the Vietnam Student Youth Football Tournament, the International Student Youth Football Tournament is a new step forward in expertise, affirming the level of Vietnamese student football with regional friends.

The tournament is an opportunity for elite student teams in the country and regional guests to exchange, connect, learn, and conquer challenges in the spirit of noble sportsmanship. It is also a source of encouragement and promotion of the school football movement.

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) - the professional support unit of the tournament, said: "The first International Youth Student Football Tournament is very meaningful, helping domestic and international universities to exchange, learn, support each other and promote the development of student football and school football. VFF highly appreciates the efforts and dedication of the Organizing Committee and accompanying units to form this meaningful tournament."

In the first time being held, the tournament had the participation of 6 teams from universities in the region, including 2 representatives from Vietnam, the host Ton Duc Thang University and the defending champion of the 2025 Vietnam Youth Student Football Tournament - Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

4 international teams include: Lao University, Life University (Cambodia), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and Malaysia University. The teams are divided into 2 groups, playing a round robin to select the first and second place teams in each group to enter the semi-finals.

Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan, Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper   Adolescent,   The head of the tournament organizing committee said that the goal of this international tournament for students is to help players have more opportunities to compete professionally.

This contributes to improving the level of football, aiming to become an important source of talent for national teams, helping universities in the region to strengthen integration, build friendly relationships and cooperative links.

Competition between teams from many countries can contribute to inspiring the school football movement of universities in the region.

Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Toan expressed: “The Organizing Committee hopes that the matches of the tournament will recreate the image of dramatic, attractive, and captivating competitions of national teams in the region. The players will compete with determination but still maintain the spirit of fair play and friendship to create a successful tournament with many good impressions together with the Organizing Committee.”

A place for connection and experiences

With the participation of 4 teams in the region, the challenge for the 2 domestic teams, Ton Duc Thang University and Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is very big. However, with the advantage of home field and home audience, Head Coach Nguyen Dinh Long of Ton Duc Thang University said that the whole team will compete with determination in each match to set the goal of reaching the final match.

Meanwhile, the players of Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism are excited after winning the 2025 Vietnam Youth Student Football Championship in their first participation. This is a great motivation for Thanh Hoa football to conquer new challenges in the regional playground.

With Nanyang Technological University, the Singapore team's goal is to focus on demonstrating their abilities, while also seeing this as an opportunity to connect and interact with friends from many countries in Southeast Asia.

“More than just a tournament, we see this as an opportunity to connect, learn from each other and create lasting relationships beyond national boundaries,” said Bin Juffri, head of delegation from Nanyang Technological University. “We believe that football can truly bring us together. Let us make this a beautiful memory, a testament to how football inspires, unites and makes a lasting difference.”

Meanwhile, Lao University is a team that gathers players from 4 universities: National University of Laos, Champasack University, Souphanouvong University and Savannakhet University. This team also aims to play their best and leave an impression in their first time participating in the tournament.

Head coach of Lao University Amphaivanh Chanthalavong said: “This will be a new experience for the students. Lao students will have the opportunity to exchange and learn in an international tournament, with the participation of students from many countries in the region. We will contribute to the best matches and strive to achieve the best results.”

Gathered from talented students from universities across Malaysia, University of Malaysia with potential, excellent players but have not been exposed to international tournaments.

“We are here to compete and learn,” said Mr. Hairi Hashim, head of the delegation from the University of Malaysia. “The tournament is a valuable opportunity for the players to experience the thrill of an international tournament, to absorb and learn the strategies and skills of the other team players. We hope to gain competition experience and turn it into future success.”

According to Culture Newspaper

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/ngay-hoi-bong-da-cua-sinh-vien-dong-nam-a-20250325093349317.htm