Vietnam U.19 faces challenges

The Vietnam U.19 team enters its campaign to conquer the 2026 Southeast Asian U.19 Championship facing a challenging squad situation, along with immense pressure as they must directly compete for a place in the next round with the host team.

In preparation for the 2026 Southeast Asian U-19 Championship (taking place from June 1-14 in Indonesia), the Vietnamese U-19 team, under the leadership of head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi, is facing personnel difficulties. Unlike previous ideal training camps, the Japanese coach cannot field his strongest squad due to several objective factors. The biggest obstacle comes from the fact that many players are busy serving their respective clubs in national professional leagues (V-League, First Division) and Second Division. In addition, some players born in 2008 must complete their schooling and prepare for the national high school graduation exam.

Vietnam U.19 ( right ) faces squad difficulties ahead of the 2026 Southeast Asian U.19 Championship.

PHOTO: VFF

During the preparatory phase of the Vietnam U19 team, some regrettable absences include center-back Dinh Quang Kiet, striker Tran Gia Bao (HAGL), and striker Nguyen Le Phat. Quang Kiet is currently a crucial player for HAGL's defense, as the team from Pleiku is pouring all its efforts into the fierce relegation battle in the V-League. Due to the crucial nature of the domestic competition, the 1.95m tall center-back can only join the Vietnam U19 team after the season ends. The 2025-2026 national championship has only two rounds left, with round 25 on May 31st and round 26 on June 7th. Meanwhile, Gia Bao still has to take his graduation exams. The situation for 19-year-old striker Nguyen Le Phat, currently playing for Ninh Binh, is more promising, as he is likely to join the Vietnam U19 team in Indonesia soon. Currently, Ninh Binh FC is ranked fourth in the standings and is fiercely competing for a top 3 position with Hanoi FC.

Despite facing a personnel crisis, coach Yutaka Ikeuchi remains optimistic and asserts that the professional quality of the current Vietnam U19 players is still assured. This confidence stems from the results of a highly beneficial 10-day training camp in Japan, where the Vietnam U19 team played friendly matches against high-quality opponents. "Some players I was hoping to see weren't available. However, the Vietnam U19 team still has many other quality players. The training camp helped them gain more experience and improve their competitive spirit," coach Yutaka Ikeuchi emphasized.

In the regional tournament, Vietnam U19 is in Group A with Myanmar, Timor Leste, and host nation Indonesia. The Indonesian team is the defending runner-up and also has the home advantage with the enthusiastic support of a large number of fans. Indonesia U19 is considered superior thanks to its talented players who have experience competing at the highest level in the U17 World Cup. Their maturity and physical prowess make them a direct competitor to Coach Ikeuchi's team in the race for first place in Group A. Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi frankly acknowledged: "Host nation Indonesia is the biggest challenge for Vietnam U19 in the group stage. But our goal remains to try to advance as far as possible and achieve the highest possible ranking."

The 2026 Southeast Asian U.19 Championship features 11 teams divided into 3 groups (Groups A and B have 4 teams each, Group C has 3 teams). This arrangement makes the race for a semi-final spot even more unpredictable. Because Group C only has 3 teams, the criteria for awarding a "wildcard" spot to the best second-placed team will change. Accordingly, the results against the last-placed teams in Groups A and B will not be considered. This means that the Vietnam U.19 team cannot afford to slip up and must aim to defeat Indonesia to secure first place in the group.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/u19-viet-nam-doi-mat-thach-thuc-185260527194657288.htm