Football

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s U19 team will meet Japan in the semi-final of the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) U19 Championship on October 27 in Bahrain.

In the other semi-final to be played on the same day, Saudi Arabia will face Iran.

On October 24, Japan also secured a ticket to compete at the tournament’s semi-finals after registering an emphatic 4-0 victory over debutant quarter-finalists Tajikistan, while Iran overcame Uzbekistan 2-0 to seal their spot among the last four.

Saudi Arabia were the first team to reach the event’s semi-finals following a sudden death penalty shootout victory over a resilient Iraqi side. Meanwhile, Việt Nam continued to defy expectations with a 1-0 win over hosts Bahrain.

By reaching this tournament’s semi-final round, four teams -- Saudi Arabia, Việt Nam, Iran and Japan -- have qualified for the FIFA U20 World Cup 2017 in South Korea. They will join hosts South Korea to make up Asia’s five representatives at the tournament.

AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa congratulated the four teams on qualifying for the World Cup.

Shaikh Salman said on the website the-afc.com: “This is a remarkable achievement by Saudi Arabia, Việt Nam, Iran and Japan, who have all displayed great determination and consistency to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup.

“Việt Nam’s achievement in reaching their first-ever FIFA U20 World Cup is outstanding. I am sure all four teams will carry on Asia’s commendable tradition on the world stage.

“The AFC U19 Championship Bahrain 2016 has produced some riveting and captivating football and I wish all the teams the very best as they look to capture the coveted title.” — VNS