Coach Cristiano Roland is confident when U16 Vietnam faces Australia and China

On the morning of May 27, coach Cristiano Roland and representatives of the U16 Australia, U16 China and U16 Saudi Arabia teams attended a press conference ahead of the CFA Team China 2025 international U16 tournament in Hohhot city, Inner Mongolia (China).

Coach Cristiano Roland commented on the tournament: "We had two weeks of intensive training in Hanoi and are very happy to return to China to participate in this tournament. This is an important opportunity for Vietnam U16 to prepare for the upcoming 2026 AFC U17 qualifiers.

The teams participating in the tournament are all strong opponents, so we will try our best to have the best performance in each match."

HLV Cristiano Roland tự tin khi U16 Việt Nam đối đầu Australia, Trung Quốc - 1 — Coach Cristiano Roland and coaches of the U16 teams of Australia, China and Saudi Arabia (Photo: VFF).

Previously, coach Cristiano Roland emphasized: "This is the first test for the new generation of players. The three opponents in the tournament are all very strong, so the requirements for the playing attitude and spirit of the U16 Vietnam team will be pushed to the maximum.

These three matches are also an opportunity for the players to clearly understand where they are in comparison to the Asian level. The team will make the best use of the matches to gain experience and work towards the important goal ahead, which is the 2026 AFC U17 Qualifiers."

Also on the morning of May 27, Head of Delegation Nguyen Minh Chau and members of the coaching staff attended the pre-tournament technical meeting. Here, Head of Delegation Nguyen Minh Chau expressed his thanks to the Chinese Football Association and the local Organizing Committee for the thoughtful reception given to the Vietnam U16 team, and affirmed that the whole team will play with dedication to contribute to the overall success of the tournament.

According to information from the technical meeting, in order to serve the professional work of the teams, the Organizing Committee allows each team to replace a maximum of 6 players in 3 substitutions and does not count the right to replace players during the break between the two halves.

This afternoon, the Vietnam U16 team will have a practice session at the Football Channel stadium at 2:30 p.m. According to the coaching staff, the grass surface meets the standards and meets professional requirements.

At the CFA Team China 2025 International U16 Tournament, the Vietnam U16 team will meet U16 Australia in the opening match at 1:00 p.m. on May 28, meet host U16 China at 6:35 p.m. on May 30, and meet U16 Saudi Arabia at 1:00 p.m. on June 1.