The 2026 AFC U17 Women's Championship finals officially kicked off in China with the participation of 12 teams, 4 more teams than last season.
According to the draw results, Vietnam U17 women's team is in Group A with host U17 women's team China, U17 women's team Thailand and U17 women's team Myanmar. In which, the host team is considered the leading candidate thanks to the youth training foundation and rich tradition of Asian women's football.
According to the tournament format, the 4 teams with the best results will win tickets to participate in the 2026 U17 Women's World Cup. Therefore, each match in the group stage is of great significance to the teams.
Before entering the tournament, Vietnam U17 women's team had a thorough preparation process. Coach Okiyama Masahiko and the coaching staff maintained the training plan according to the official match schedule to help players adapt to weather conditions and exercise intensity.
The team also surveyed the stadium at Thai Ho Football Sports Center in Suzhou to get acquainted with the pitch surface and organizational conditions. The fact that the training ground, accommodation and stadium are arranged close together helps the whole team reduce the pressure of moving during the preparation process.
In the qualifiers, Vietnam U17 women's team showed stable form to win the right to participate in the group of 12 strongest teams in Asia. This is considered a notable step forward for Vietnamese youth women's football in recent years.
According to the schedule, Vietnam U17 women's team will open with a match against Thailand U17 women's team on May 1. After that, the whole team will face China U17 women's team on May 4, before facing Myanmar U17 women's team on May 7.
