The 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship has determined the two teams to enter the final: U17 Vietnam and U17 Malaysia. In the semi-finals, U17 Malaysia defeated U17 Laos 3-0, and U17 Vietnam defeated U17 Australia with a score of 2-1.
The match against Laos has never been an easy task because we know they are unbeaten in the group stage. Perhaps we were lucky from the beginning with the penalty and the fact that they were only 10 on the field, but I am still satisfied with the performance of the players," U17 Malaysia coach Shukor Adan said.
The 3-0 victory over U17 Laos in the semi-finals is not simply an unexpected result but also shows the positive change of the U17 Malaysia team in both spirit and playing style, especially after the opening match lost to U17 Vietnam with a score of 0-4.
After heavy criticism after the defeat to U17 Vietnam, U17 Malaysia showed a strong spirit. They reached the final without conceding a goal in the last three matches, something that not many people expected," the U17 Malaysia coach continued.
Compared to U17 Malaysia, U17 Vietnam's journey to the final is much more convincing. Cristiano Roland's team is unbeaten from the beginning of the tournament. The achievement of reaching the final of the 2026 U17 Southeast Asian Championship continues to show that Vietnamese youth football is achieving many successes in the region. Malaysian media assesses that the youth football training system in Vietnam is the most complete in Southeast Asia.
We know U17 Vietnam is a very strong team. In terms of quality, from the U17 to U23 generations, Vietnam has a very good training system. The final will be very difficult for us, but U17 Malaysia will do everything possible to win," Mr. Shukor Adan affirmed.
Taking advantage of the rest time between the semi-finals and the final, U17 Malaysia focused on recovering physical strength and adjusting tactics. Mr. Shukor Adan revealed that the team will have a different approach in the rematch with U17 Vietnam.
Currently, the important thing is to recover both mentally and physically. In terms of tactics, we will approach the final in a different way.
I told the players to enjoy this moment because they made history by becoming the youngest team to reach the final. In the end, the result of the final match will be decided by their spirit and fighting spirit," Mr. Shukor Adan emphasized.
According to the schedule, the final match between U17 Vietnam and U17 Malaysia takes place at 7:30 PM on April 24.
