Head coach Cristiano Roland has outlined a comprehensive preparation plan for U17 Vietnam
On the afternoon of October 5, the Vietnam U17 national team held their first training session at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center, officially kicking off their preparation phase for the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
06/10/2025 09:51:53
Speaking before the training session, head coach Cristiano Roland said: “I’m very proud to once again be trusted with leading the Vietnam U17 national team and contributing to Vietnamese football. For this training phase, the team will spend one month training in Hanoi, including several friendly matches, before traveling to Japan for a training camp with around three warm-up games, then returning home to compete in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers.”
Assessing the current squad, coach Cristiano Roland noted that the team features many new faces selected based on their impressive performances at the recent National U17 Championship finals. The Brazilian coach also emphasized that this is not the final list, as the coaching staff will continue monitoring players to make suitable additions.
Reflecting on the international friendly tournament in China last June, head coach Cristiano Roland highly appreciated his players’ progress: “That was a competition with very strong opponents — true powerhouses of Asian football. The biggest challenge then was helping the players fully understand the team’s philosophy and style of play. I’m pleased that they’ve grasped the ideas well and learned to understand why they need to react a certain way in each situation on the field. Next month, the whole team will continue maintaining the current workload, strengthen cohesion, and add new tactical ideas to improve overall performance.”
Regarding the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, coach Cristiano Roland emphasized the importance of comprehensive preparation: “The draw has placed Vietnam U17 in a group with opponents of varying quality. There may be matches that seem easy on paper but could turn out to be quite challenging. Therefore, instead of thinking that any match will be easy, we must stay focused in every situation and proactively implement our playing style to make the game easier for ourselves.”
According to the plan, the Vietnam U17 national team will hold a training camp in Japan from November 5, including three friendly matches with opponents arranged by the Japan Football Association. On November 16, coach Cristiano Roland and his players will return to Vietnam to enter the final stage of preparation.
In the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, Vietnam U17 are placed in Group C alongside Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Macau (China), and the Northern Mariana Islands. The matches will take place from November 22 to 30, 2025, at two venues: the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center and the PVF Football Academy.
Being entrusted by the AFC to host the group stage not only gives Vietnam U17 the home-ground advantage in their quest to qualify for the finals but also serves as a strong motivation for the team to pursue their dream of earning a spot at the FIFA U17 World Cup 2026.
