ASEAN Football Federation speaks frankly as Vietnam eliminates Indonesia to reach semifinals

The draw against host Indonesia helped Vietnam U17 finish the group stage as top team, thereby receiving positive evaluation from ASEAN Football Federation regarding stability and resilience.

Vietnam U17 has convincingly accomplished its objectives in the group stage of the 2026 ASEAN U17 Championship. The 0-0 draw against host Indonesia not only ensured coach Cristiano Roland's team retained top spot in Group A, but also affirmed the solidity and character of a squad performing at a high level.

The ASEAN Football Federation homepage praised the performance of Vietnam's youth team and emphasized: “The goalless draw against host Indonesia was enough for Vietnam to secure first place in Group A.” This assessment shows clear recognition of Vietnam U17's reasonable match approach, as they avoided risks while still controlling the game.

Throughout the 90 minutes, the red-shirted team dominated ball control and created more dangerous opportunities. Finishing attempts by Van Duong or Nguyen Luc repeatedly put Indonesia's goal under threat, despite lacking some precision in the final touch.

On the opposite side, the host team entered the match under pressure to win. However, facing Vietnam's tightly organized defense, Indonesia could hardly deploy their desired gameplay. ASEAN Football Federation also acknowledged “Indonesia could not overcome a well-organized Vietnam team,” thus explaining why they had to stop at the group stage.

Previously, Vietnam U17 impressed with two heavy victories over Malaysia and Timor-Leste. Scoring 14 goals and conceding none after three matches clearly demonstrates the balance between attack and defense. This also helped the team maintain stability throughout the group stage journey.

In simultaneous developments, Malaysia secured a 2-0 victory over Timor-Leste to advance as group runner-up. ASEAN Football Federation stated “Malaysia scored one goal each half to ensure a semifinal spot,” thus forming the other semifinal pair with Laos.

According to the schedule, Vietnam U17 will meet Australia in the semifinal at 19:30 on April 22 – a much greater challenge than the group stage. However, with current form, coach Cristiano Roland's team has solid grounds for confidence.

Being highly evaluated by the regional federation itself is a positive signal for Vietnam's youth football. More importantly, the stable and disciplined performance is helping Vietnam U17 become one of the strong contenders for this year's championship.