Brazilian coach leads Vietnam U17 to play 3 matches in Japan

Vietnam U17 will have approximately 10 days of training in Japan, during which they will play 3 friendly games.

As part of the preparation for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, the Vietnam U17 team will regroup on October 5th in Hanoi with 30 players called up.

According to the plan, the Vietnam U17 team will train at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center before heading to Japan for training starting November 5th. There, the team is expected to play three friendly matches against suitable opponents arranged by the Japan Football Association. On November 16th, Coach Cristiano Roland and his squad will return home to finalize preparations for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Previously, this group of players was also given the opportunity to travel to China in June to compete in the CFA Team China 2025 friendly tournament against U16 teams from China, Australia, and Saudi Arabia. Coach Roland’s team finished third overall with 4 points (losing 1-2 to Australia, drawing 2-2 with China, and winning 2-1 against Saudi Arabia).

According to the draw results, Vietnam U17 is placed in Group C along with Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Macau (China), and the Northern Mariana Islands. Matches in Group C will be held at two venues: the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center and the PVF Youth Football Training Center from November 22 to 30, 2025.

The 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers feature 38 teams divided into 7 groups (3 groups of 6 teams and 4 groups of 5 teams). The top team from each group will qualify for the final tournament. Nine teams have already secured direct entry, including host Qatar and the eight quarterfinalists from the 2025 U17 Asian Cup: Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, North Korea, Tajikistan, Japan, UAE, and Indonesia.

The final tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia in May 2026. The top eight teams will represent Asia at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026.

The Vietnam Football Federation being granted hosting rights by the AFC for the group matches provides a significant advantage for Vietnam U17 in aiming to qualify for the finals, while also targeting a place at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026.