The secret behind applying VAR in the final of the U.23 Southeast Asian tournament

On the morning of July 28, in the technical meeting before the final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, the tournament organizers officially announced that VAR will be applied.

AFF leaders assessed the tournament as successful until the semi-finals and looked forward to a successful final match in terms of both expertise and organization. And to ensure fairness for the final match and preserve the integrity of the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 tournament, Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, who is also the Chairman of the AFC and AFF Competition Committees, proposed that the organizing committee apply VAR. AFF agreed to this proposal. Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan made the urgent proposal at an important meeting of the AFF Competition Committee on July 26 in Singapore.

Previously, VAR was not applied in this tournament in the group stage, semi-finals and third-place match.

PHOTO: VFF

Immediately, AFF General Secretary Winston Lee coordinated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the host country to urgently deploy VAR. After 3 days of preparation, VAR is ready for the final match of the 2025 Southeast Asian U.23 Championship, taking place at 8:00 p.m. on July 29 at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.