Hot Vietnamese football news today, April 21: U17 Vietnam captain highlights the team's strengths

Hot Vietnamese football news today, April 21: U17 Vietnam captain identifies the team's advantages.

U17 Vietnam captain outlines the team's strengths

Central defender Dang Khoa asserts that team spirit is the key factor enabling U17 Vietnam to advance past the group stage of the 2024 Southeast Asian U17 Championship as the top team in Group A.

"We are united and our passion is to support each other, so the match becomes easier thanks to that cooperation.

I felt today's match was very challenging for the whole team, but we knew how to control the game," Dang Khoa shared after U17 Vietnam drew with U17 Indonesia in the final group stage match.

The U17 Vietnam team kept a clean sheet after three matches, previously winning against Malaysia 4-0 and Timor Leste 10-0. Dang Khoa and his teammates will face the reigning champion U17 Australia in the semifinal at 7:30 PM on April 22.

This is also the fourth consecutive time U17 Vietnam has reached the knockout stage of the regional tournament.

The press conference and information exchange before this match will be held today in Surabaya (Indonesia).

Vietnamese football secures a spot in the AFC Champions League playoff

Vietnamese football recently received good news when the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) decided to expand the number of teams participating in the AFC Champions League Elite from 24 to 32 teams starting from the 2026/27 season.

Vietnam has been granted a playoff spot for the first time. This is an important step forward, creating conditions for V-League clubs to have a chance to compete directly for a ticket to the group stage.

Compared to strong football nations in the region, the V-League still has a gap. The Thai League currently has three direct spots to the group stage, and Malaysia also holds one direct spot.

Since the tournament was restructured into the AFC Champions League starting from the 2024/25 season, only two Southeast Asian clubs have participated in the group stage: Johor Darul Ta'zim and Buriram United.

Even though they must start from the playoff round, this remains a historic opportunity for Vietnamese clubs.

Ho Chi Minh City faces Hanoi 1 in the opening match of the National Women's Football Cup

Yesterday, April 20, the Vietnam Football Federation announced the schedule for the 2026 National Cup, with the opening match being considered a "super classic" in women's football between Ho Chi Minh City Women's Club and their long-time rival Hanoi I on May 13.

The 2026 National Women's Football Cup features six participating teams, divided into two groups playing a single round-robin. The third-placed teams from each group compete for the overall fifth place. The top two teams from each group cross over in the semifinals; the winners compete in the final, and the losers compete for third place.

According to the earlier draw results, Group A includes three top teams currently: Ho Chi Minh City, Than KSVN, and Hanoi I.

In Group B, Thai Nguyen T&T also has a favorable schedule similar to Ho Chi Minh City I, resting in the second match round. Bich Thuy and her teammates face Hanoi II in their opening match on May 13, then rest in the second round on May 16, and meet Phong Phu Ha Nam on May 19.