The 1-0 victory over U17 Yemen not only helped U17 Vietnam have a favorable opening match at the 2026 AFC U17 Championship finals but also marked a memorable milestone for Vietnamese youth football after 10 years of waiting for a victory in the continental arena.
After the match ended, coach Cristiano Roland could not hide his emotions when he successively hugged each of his students in the dressing room. The Brazilian coach continuously encouraged the young players after their hard-working performance against an opponent with good physical foundation and strength like U17 Yemen.
Under the guidance of coach Cristiano Roland, U17 Vietnam entered the game confidently and organized the game quite tightly. The red shirt team prioritized safety in defense but still maintained the ability to quickly switch positions whenever there was a counter-attack opportunity.
For most of the match time, U17 Yemen created a lot of pressure with fast balls and fierce tackles. However, the U17 Vietnam defense still maintained the necessary concentration to preserve the game.
The turning point of the match came in the 77th minute when Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc made a favorable pass for Dau Quang Hung to escape and finish accurately, scoring the only goal of the match.
The late goal helped U17 Vietnam win all 3 points on the opening day, and at the same time ended the 10-year winless streak of Vietnamese youth football in the U17 Asian arena. The last time the U17 Vietnam team won this tournament was in 2016.
In the remaining match of Group C, U17 Korea drew with U17 UAE with a score of 1-1. This result helped U17 Vietnam temporarily lead the group after the first match.
According to the schedule, coach Cristiano Roland and his team will face U17 Korea on May 10. This is considered a big challenge for U17 Vietnam in the race to win a ticket to the next round and compete for a spot to participate in the 2026 U17 World Cup.
