Three early spots in the finals have been secured.

The qualifying round of the 4th Vietnam Youth and Student Football Tournament - 2026 THACO Cup (TNSV THACO Cup 2026) has already determined the 3 teams that will participate in the finals: the team from the University of Water Resources, FPT Polytechnic College, and Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Báo Thanh niên•17/01/2026

NORTHERN QUALIFIERS TAKEN OUT EARLY

In Group C of the northern region yesterday, January 17th, defending champions Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism defeated Vietnam Maritime University 2-0. The two goals, one in each half, secured Thanh Hoa University's place in the finals in Nha Trang. This was because in the other match, Phuong Dong University drew 3-3 with the National Economics University. Therefore, after two matches, Thanh Hoa has 6 points, while the second-placed National Economics University only has 2 points.

Interestingly, the Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism team, the first champion of the TNSV tournament, has secured a spot in the finals. Previously, the Hue University team won season 1 but failed to qualify for season 2, and the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports team won season 2 but also couldn't make it to the finals in season 3.

Chốt hạ 3 suất sớm vào VCK- Ảnh 1. — Defending champions Thanh Hoa University of Culture, Sports and Tourism secure a spot in the finals.

SEIZE THE ADVANTAGE

In the Ho Chi Minh City regional qualifiers at Tao Dan Stadium, Van Lang University (Group 7) and Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (Group 8) both secured important victories, giving them an advantage in the race for a playoff spot. In Group 7, Van Lang University impressively defeated Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology 3-0. Thanks to this victory against a tough opponent, Coach Nguyen Vo Hoang Phu's team rose to first place in Group 7 with 4 points. In the other match, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics won against Hong Bang International University 3-1, also earning 4 points but ranking second due to a lower goal difference, while Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology ranked third with 3 points. The race in Group 7 will only be determined after the final round, with Van Lang University having the advantage as they only have to face the weakest team in the group, Hong Bang International University, which also has no chance of advancing.

In Group 8, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry team convincingly defeated the Da Lat University team 7-0, securing first place after two consecutive wins. The People's Police University team overcame the Lilama 2 International College of Technology team with a 3-0 victory, finishing second with 3 points, thus keeping their hopes alive.

THE HOMEOWNER HAS THE GOLDEN GOAL

The home team, Dong Thap University, secured their first victory in Group 1 of the Southwest regional qualifiers by defeating Vinh Long University of Technology and Education thanks to a "golden goal" by Huynh Ngoc Luan in the 71st minute. Along with one point earned in their opening match against Nam Can Tho University, Dong Thap University now has 4 points. In the other match, Nam Can Tho University drew 1-1 with Tay Do University. This result puts Dong Thap University at the top of Group 1, while Nam Can Tho University and Tay Do University are ranked second and third respectively with 2 points each. The final round of Group 1 matches, taking place tomorrow (January 19th), will determine the top-ranked team to advance to the play-offs for a spot in the finals. Dong Thap University's opponent in the final round will be Tay Do University.

Match schedule for January 18th

Northern regional qualifiers (Water Resources University campus)

Group A: Hanoi University of Industry - Phenikaa University (10 hours);

Water Resources University - Dai Nam University (14 hours).

Central Coastal Region Qualifiers (Military Region 5 Stadium - Da Nang):

Duy Tan University - Da Nang University of Sports and Physical Education (13:30);

Da Nang Oriental College - Hue University (4 PM).

Southwest Region Qualifiers (Dong Thap University Stadium):

FPT University Can Tho - Tra Vinh University (3 PM);

Can Tho University - Cuu Long University (5 PM).

Ho Chi Minh City Regional Qualifiers (Tao Dan Stadium):

Group 9: College of Transport and Communications - University of Industry and Trade (8:30 AM).

Group 1: University of Banking Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam Aviation Academy (2 PM); Ton Duc Thang University - Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology (4 PM).