Football

Vietnamese players will leave for Indonesia on May 28 to compete in the 2026 ASEAN U19 Boys’ Championship. — Photo courtesy of VFF

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese players have been tasked with winning the 2026 ASEAN U19 Boys’ Championship title in Indonesia, as Việt Nam aim to reaffirm their regional dominance and the rapid development of the country's youth football.

Việt Nam have been drawn in Group A, and will play Timor Leste on June 1, Myanmar on June 4 and Indonesia on June 7.

Group B comprises Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, while Group C includes Australia, Cambodia and the Philippines.

The tournament will take place from June 1 to 14 in Medan and the larger Deli Serdang area. The three group winners and the best second-placed team will advance to the semi-finals.

This event serves as important preparation for regional teams ahead of the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers.

To prepare for the competition, Vietnamese players have taken part in several training camps since the beginning of the year.

During the latest camp, the team practised for 10 days in Japan, where they played friendly matches with local clubs and took part in intensive training sessions.

Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi said he believes that these activities helped improve the team's overall performance and fine-tune their playing style before heading to Indonesia for the tournament.

Việt Nam are sending a squad largely made up of players born in 2008 who previously took part in the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup finals. This generation also suffered a 0-5 defeat to Indonesia at the 2024 ASEAN U16 Championship.

Việt Nam Football Federation (VFF) General Secretary Nguyễn Văn Phú held a meeting with the team on May 26, encouraging them before the championship.

Phú acknowledged players' efforts and diligence while highlighting the important role of the U19 generation in VFF's youth football development strategy.

He said that the team's solidarity, determination and preparation would help them complete their tasks.

The U19s were expected to deliver strong performance, as their U17 teammates did weeks ago, winning the regional championship and finishing among the top eight teams in the continental tournament.

Other national junior teams have also made great strides in the past two years.

Their success in Indonesia would help uphold Việt Nam's position as a strong competitor in both ASEAN and Asia.

Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi (right) said his players will overcome challenges to earn the highest result. — Photo courtesy of VFF

In his response to the team, Ikeuchi admitted that the recent achievements of other Vietnamese youth teams place heavy pressure on his side. However, it is also his players' responsibility and motivation to earn the best result.

“For me, pressure is part of my job. Working in Việt Nam, where football is growing rapidly, I hope to contribute to the development of these U19 players and help them bring success home," Ikeuchi said.

The Japanese tactician considered Indonesia, whose U17 team qualified for the World Cup, the biggest challenge for Việt Nam in the group round.

"Definitely, Indonesia are very strong, with high-quality players. But our target is to win the tournament, and my players are prepared in terms of both skill and mentality for the event. They will try their best to win the tournament in Indonesia," he said.

The championship has been held annually since 2002. Thailand and Australia are the competition’s most successful teams, with five titles each.

Việt Nam have won the tournament once, in 2007, while also recording several runner-up and third-place finishes.

In the 2022 competition, which was also held in Indonesia, Việt Nam's side featured current national stars, such as striker Nguyễn Đình Bắc along with Nguyễn Quốc Việt, Nguyễn Văn Trường and defender Nhật Minh. They claimed the bronze medal. — VNS