Football

U16 players of Việt Nam will play Myanmar, Cambodia and Brunei in Group B of the AFF Championship in late June in Indonesia. Photos of VFF

HÀ NỘI - The ASEAN Football Federation has conducted draws for the regional U15 and U19 championships which will be held in Indonesia, in June.

In the U16 tournament, defending champions Indonesia have been placed in Group A alongside Laos, the Philippines and Singapore.

Group B features Việt Nam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Brunei while Group C consists of Thailand, Malaysia, Timor Leste and Australia.

The matches will be held from June 21 to July 7 in Surakarta. Teams will compete in the round robin format in the group stage. Three top teams of each group and one best second-placed team will qualify for the semi-finals.

Coach Trần Minh Chiến and his players have been practising at the Việt Nam Youth Football Training Centre for weeks in preparation for the tournament.

They will have three friendly matches with local clubs next week, before leaving for Indonesia on June 19.

In the meantime, in the ASEAN U19 Boys’ Championship, defending champions Malaysia are in Group C against Thailand, Singapore and Brunei.

Group A features Indonesia, Timor Leste, Cambodia and Philippines while Group B consists of Laos, Việt Nam, Myanmar and Australia.

U19 players will face Laos, Myanmar and Australia in Group B from July 17-29.

The event will be held also in Surabaya from July 17-29 with the same format with the U16 competition.

Under coach Hứa Hiền Vinh, players are training at the Việt Nam Youth Football Training Centre. They will take part in an international event against South Korea, Uzbekistan and hosts China from June 4-10 as a warm-up for the regional championship.

The Việt Nam Football Federation leaders held a meeting with both two teams after a draw on May 30 in Hà Nội.

Coaches Chiến and Vinh reported their plans and professional progress. Both managers promised that despite no targets given from the VFF, their teams would try their best for highest positions which would push them at the qualifications of the 2025 Asian U17 and U20 championships.

VFF President Trần Quốc Tuấn appreciated efforts of players and coaches and encouraged them to deliver high performance at both events.

Tuấn said the younger teams play a key role in building a strong national team and the VFF always prioritises youth football.

The U19's China event is one of many activities of the VFF's plan in 2024 which also includes training camps in Japan and South Korea before they take part in the Asian U17 and U20 qualifications early 2025. VNS