World Cup dream becomes more difficult

Difficult table for U.17 Vietnam

This afternoon (January 23), the Asian Football Confederation conducted the draw for the 2025 AFC U-17 Championship finals, taking place from April 3 to 20 in Saudi Arabia. The tournament has 16 participating teams, including 15 qualifying teams (including Vietnam U-17) and host Saudi Arabia U-17.

As a result, the draw put U.17 Vietnam in a very difficult group, with U.17 Japan (the reigning champion of the tournament), U.17 Australia (who has reached the semi-finals three times) and U.17 UAE.

U.17 Vietnam is in group B

In the last 2 times participating in the AFC U17 finals, U17 Vietnam was eliminated in the group stage with 1 point (in 2023) and reached the quarter-finals (in 2016). The common point of these two tournaments is that U17 Vietnam was in the same group with U17 Japan. In both matches against the youth team of the Land of the Rising Sun, U17 Vietnam lost heavily, with the scores of 0-4 (in 2023) and 0-7 (in 2016).

At the draw, the organizers divided 16 teams into 4 groups, each group of 4 teams. Based on the ranking points of the 3 most recent final rounds (2023, 2018, 2016) in order of 100%, 50% and 25% of the respective rankings, U.17 Vietnam belongs to the 3rd seed group with Thailand, Oman and Afghanistan.

Group 1 seeds include the following teams: Saudi Arabia (host of the final round), Japan, South Korea, Iran. Group 2 seeds include the following teams: Australia, Yemen, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and group 4 seeds include: China, DPRK, Indonesia, UAE.

Sharing the same fate as U.17 Vietnam, U.17 Thailand is also in a tough group A with host U.17 Saudi Arabia, U.17 Uzbekistan and U.17 China. Meanwhile, U.17 Indonesia is in a more comfortable group C with U.17 Korea, U.17 Yemen and U.17 Afghanistan.

Starting from the 2025 U.17 World Cup finals held in Qatar, the World Football Federation (FIFA) decided to increase the number of participating teams from 24 to 48. Accordingly, Asia was given 8 slots and the opportunity for Asian youth teams to participate in the 2025 U.17 World Cup was doubled. This also means that the 8 teams that reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 U.17 Asia will participate in the 2025 U.17 World Cup.

The official schedule of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship will be announced by AFC in the near future.

Coach Cristiano Roland: U.17 Vietnam does not give up

Sharing with Thanh Nien Newspaper, Coach Cristiano Roland, who leads Vietnam U.17 in the 2025 U.17 Asian qualifiers, affirmed that no matter how strong the opponent is, the whole team must try their best.

"In the final round, the tournament will gather the strongest U.17 teams in the continent. The challenge for U.17 Vietnam is very difficult, but that does not mean the World Cup goal is impossible or out of reach.

U.17 Vietnam will fight despite slim hope

We will prepare the best, try to complete every step as thoroughly as possible, from screening and concentrating forces, training, consolidating playing style, training more offensive and defensive tactics or improving the players' mentality and physical strength. U.17 Vietnam must go through a rigorous preparation period to aim for the U.17 Asian playground. However, the players already understand the goal. That is the core thing."

Vietnam U.17 defeated Myanmar U.17, drew with Kyrgyzstan U.17 and Yemen U.17 in the Asian qualifiers. Before that, at the Peace Cup friendly tournament held in China, coach Roland and his team defeated both Japan U.17 and Uzbekistan U.17 to win the runner-up position. This is a spiritual motivation for the young Vietnamese team to dream of a miracle.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u17-viet-nam-roi-vao-bang-co-nhat-ban-uc-giac-mo-world-cup-them-gian-truan-185250123150611442.htm