Vietnam U20 team drawn into 'group of death'

Vietnam U20 is in the same group as Iran, North Korea, and Palestine in the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers.

The draw for the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, held on the afternoon of May 28th at AFC headquarters (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), placed the Vietnam U20 team in Group C alongside very strong opponents.

In Vietnam's U20 group, Iran is considered a top contender, being in the top seed group and one of the continent's most traditional youth football nations. Meanwhile, North Korea and Palestine are also highly competitive opponents, promising a fierce race for a place in the next round.

Currently, the core players of the Vietnam U20 team are actively improving their skills through training and international competitions, with the immediate focus being the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship in Indonesia. This is an important tournament that will help young players gain more experience, enhance their confidence, and aim to compete on the continental stage.

According to the tournament format, the 32 teams in the Qualifying Stage are divided into 8 groups, with 4 teams in each group, playing a round-robin format from August 31st to September 6th, 2026. At the end of the qualifying round, the 8 group winners and the 7 best-performing second-placed teams will qualify for the 2027 AFC U20 Championship Finals in China.

According to the AFC's announcement, Vietnam is one of eight countries hosting the group stages of the Qualifying Phase, alongside Bahrain, Cambodia, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Qatar, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Bhutan, Mongolia, and Myanmar will host the group stages of the Development Phase.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/u20-viet-nam-roi-vao-bang-dau-tu-than.html