Before the quarter-final match of the 2026 AFC U17 Championship against U17 Vietnam, coach Carl Veart gave many positive comments on the youth training work of Vietnamese football, and also said that this is one of the fast-progressing football backgrounds in Asia.
Sharing with Australian media, Mr. Veart said that many countries in the region are investing heavily in youth football to catch up with the development trend of modern football. According to the strategist born in 1970, Vietnam is one of the typical examples.
There are many resources being invested in youth football. Vietnam is a role model in Asia when it is progressing very quickly and we once lost to them at the U17 Southeast Asian tournament," Mr. Veart said.
At the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals taking place in Saudi Arabia, U17 Australia ranked second in Group D with 3 points after two matches, including a 4-0 victory over India and a 0-2 defeat against Uzbekistan. The kangaroo team played one match less because North Korea withdrew from the tournament.
According to Mr. Veart, Asian youth teams are currently not only improving in individual level but also catching up with the tactical trends of top football. He highly appreciates the ball control ability, state change speed and fitness foundation of many teams at this year's tournament.
The Australian coach also especially emphasized the dense competition frequency of youth teams in the region. He said that U17 India played 16 matches in 2026, while U17 Vietnam had up to 24 matches including official, friendly and practice matches.
The important thing is that Australia must maintain its current level, not be left behind, because Asian football is developing very quickly," Mr. Veart added.
At the youth level, U17 Vietnam and U17 Australia have often clashed in recent years. The two teams drew 1-1 at the group stage of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship, before U17 Vietnam won 2-1 in the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U17 Championship.
In the rematch in the U17 Asian Cup 2026 quarter-finals, Australia has a number of players playing in Europe such as goalkeeper Charlie Wilson-Papps of Brighton & Hove Albion, defender Harrison Bond of Red Bull Salzburg or striker Gabriel Lombardi playing for Parma Calcio 1913.
Although they have won tickets to the U17 World Cup, coach Carl Veart affirmed that Australia still aims to go deep in this year's tournament. If they overcome U17 Vietnam, Australia will meet U17 China in the semi-finals.
