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Vietnam face strong rivals at Asian Cup for U17s
Vietnam face a tough battle at the AFC U17 Asian Cup after a draw conducted on January 23 at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur.
The 16 teams, divided into four groups, will not only be bidding for the coveted trophy but also for the eight spots at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025 – the first edition of the newly expanded 48-team annual tournament.
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At the draw ceremony. |
Vietnam are in Group B along with defending champions Japan, three-time semi-finalists Australia and the powerful United Arab Emirates.
The hosts Saudi Arabia, seeking a third title, will face Uzbekistan, Thailand and China in Group A with the top two sides to advance to the quarter-finals.
The Republic of Korea will square off against Yemen, Afghanistan and Indonesia in Group C.
Top seeds Iran can expect stiff resistance from Tajikistan, Oman and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Group D.
The tournament will be held on April 3-20 with the full schedule being released later.
Eight teams which qualify for the quarter-finals will take the 2025 World Cup places.
Vietnam ranks third in Southeast Asia for the number of FIFA-accredited referees, following Thailand and Malaysia, according to the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF)'s official website.
The 2024 ASEAN Cup organizing committee has announced the tournament's best XI based on fans' votes, with 7 Vietnamese players, two Thai players and one player each from Singapore and the Philippines making the list.
In a move to bolster cultural exchange and cooperation between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK), the former head coach of the Vietnamese national football team, Park Hang-seo, has been appointed as an honorary public relations ambassador for the southwestern province of Jeollabuk.
Vietnam's men football team are expected to climb two places, while Thailand will move down one in the FIFA rankings after the 2024 ASEAN Cup.
Vietnam took the overall 2024 ASEAN Cup trophy after a 3-2 win against Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium (Bangkok) on Sunday evening secured Kim Sang-sik’s side a 5-3 aggregate victory in the title decider.
Brazilian-born striker Nguyen Xuan Son claimed the most valuable player and top scorer awards at the 2024 ASEAN Cup as Vietnam claimed their third Southeast Asian title in history.
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