According to the schedule, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi and his team departed from Ho Chi Minh City to Jakarta before taking a domestic flight to Medan. The total travel time lasted nearly a day, causing no small physical difficulties for the young players.
Due to restrictions on flights to Medan, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has created conditions for the team to move to Ho Chi Minh City early, and also arranged an extra training session to help players maintain their exercise status and reduce the impact from the long journey.
Before leaving, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi has shortened the list to 25 players. The coaching staff will continue to evaluate to finalize the official list of 23 players before the opening match.
Sharing before the trip, the Japanese coach said that the preparation process of U19 Vietnam faced many difficulties due to the impact of the domestic schedule as well as the high school graduation exam of the group of players born in 2008. This made it impossible for the team to have the strongest force as desired.
However, Mr. Ikeuchi highly appreciated the support from VFF, clubs and the efforts of the players throughout the preparation process.
“I and the coaching staff have prepared carefully for the tournament. U19 Vietnam will enter the tournament with determination, not giving up and overcoming all difficulties together,” coach Yutaka Ikeuchi shared.
At the 2026 U19 Southeast Asian Championship, U19 Vietnam is in Group A with host Indonesia, Myanmar and Timor Leste. According to the schedule, the team will successively meet Timor Leste on June 1, Myanmar on June 4 and Indonesia on June 7.
