The 1-0 victory over U20 Bangladesh women's team in the final match helped U20 Vietnam women's team complete the goal of passing the group stage of the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship.
Coach Okiyama Masahiko's team won a ticket to the quarterfinals as one of the two third-placed teams with the best results. This is the second time in the history of the team to participate in this round, after the first time in 2004 (then U19 women's).
In the quarter-finals, Vietnam U20 women's team will face Japan U20 women's team, the top team in Group C. The match takes place at 8:00 PM on April 11th at Thammasat Stadium (Thailand).
This is considered a big challenge as Japan is in the strongest group in Asia. In the last group stage match, the team from the land of the rising sun defeated U20 Australia 5-2. This shows the effectiveness in attack and the ability to maintain a high pace.
Before the match, coach Okiyama Masahiko assessed that the opponent has top professional quality, and affirmed that the team still has time to prepare to complete tactical plans.
Meanwhile, midfielder An Hoang Cuc assessed that Japan possesses a technical playing style, good ball control and flexible coordination.
To aim for positive results, Vietnam U20 women's team needs to improve defensive ability, especially in situations under constant pressure. In addition, taking advantage of opportunities in counter-attacks will play an important role.
The quarter-finals are also of great significance as the 4 winning teams will win the right to participate in the 2026 Women's U20 World Cup in Poland.
The match between Vietnam U20 women's team and Japan U20 women's team in the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship takes place at 8:00 PM on April 11.
