Football match preview: Vietnam U17 vs Yemen U17: Determined to win the opening match.

Match information: Vietnam U17 vs Yemen U17

Tournament: AFC U17 Championship 2026

Match time: 00:00 on May 7, 2026 (Vietnam time) (GMT+7).

This is Vietnam U17's opening match in the group stage. After the match against Yemen U17, coach Cristiano Roland's team will face South Korea U17 (May 10th) and conclude the group stage with a match against UAE U17 (May 14th).

Predicted lineups for Vietnam U17 vs Yemen U17

Vietnam U17 (expected 4-3-3 formation): Xuan Hoa – Manh Cuong, Dang Khoa, Anh Hao, Quy Vuong – Hoang Viet, Minh Thuy, Dai Nhan – Nguyen Luc, Van Duong, Sy Bach.

U17 Yemen (4-4-2 expected): Wassam Al-Sabhi – Mohsen Salem, Fahim Zaheer, Ayman Al-Abadi, Sabir Sind – Ali Shafiq, Ibrahim Anwar, Ahmed Nasser, Muhammad Sadiq – Haitham Tawfiq, Muhammad Sadiq.

Match preview: Vietnam U17 vs Yemen U17

At the 2026 AFC U17 Championship, Vietnam U17 is in a relatively difficult group, having to compete against South Korea U17, UAE U17, and Yemen U17. Of the three opponents, Yemen U17 is considered the "easiest," offering a clear opportunity for Vietnam U17 to secure three points in their opening match.

The opening match between Vietnam U17 and Yemen U17 is crucial, directly impacting the race for qualification in the group stage. In a fiercely competitive group vying for two spots, Nguyen Luc and his teammates must win. A draw or a loss would significantly reduce Vietnam U17's chances of advancing.

Under the guidance of coach Cristiano Roland, the Vietnam U17 team is making a strong impression with its ball-controlling style of play, small-group coordination, and high tactical discipline. The "Young Golden Star Warriors" are in impressive form with 4 wins, 1 draw, scoring 19 goals and conceding only 1 on their way to a convincing victory in the Southeast Asian U17 Championship. Notably, Vietnam U17 pulled off a surprise victory against Australia U17 – a top team in the continent – ​​in the semi-finals.

Coach Roland's team has shown that with desire and focus, they can overcome any opponent. However, the Brazilian coach understands the difficulties ahead. He previously led the Vietnamese U17 team to an impressive performance but were eliminated after drawing all three matches. Coach Roland affirmed that this is a lesson for the younger generation to learn from and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

On the other side, the Yemen U17 team is the least experienced in the tournament. They have 17 players who are only 16 years old, with an average age of 15.65 – also the youngest team at the 2026 AFC U17 Championship. Conversely, coach Cristiano Roland brings to the tournament 17 players aged 17 and 5 players aged 16, giving them a significant advantage in terms of playing experience compared to their opponents.

The preparation of the Yemen U17 team was also not ideal. They trained domestically from mid-April before traveling to Saudi Arabia on April 25th. In a series of friendly matches against local teams, the results were not as expected – in their most recent match in Jeddah, Yemen U17 lost to Uzbekistan U17 1-2. It is clear that Yemen U17 has not had the best preparation for the continental tournament.

In terms of personnel, the Vietnam U17 team has its best squad available for this tournament. The Yemen U17 team faces a problem as they are unable to add six young players currently playing in Saudi Arabia as originally planned. This is a significant advantage for coach Cristiano Roland's team.

The Yemen U17 team qualified for the 2002 World Cup, but since then, Yemeni youth football has not achieved many outstanding results. The Vietnam U17 team is currently on a strong upward trajectory under coach Cristiano Roland, and the "Golden Star Warriors" are eager to secure a World Cup spot. To achieve this goal, the Vietnam U17 team has clearly defined its objective: to win against Yemen U17 in the opening match.

Predicting the score for Vietnam U17 vs Yemen U17

With their superior form, well-established playing style, and the legacy of their U17 Southeast Asian Championship victory, the Vietnam U17 team is predicted to win by a narrow margin in a match where caution may be prioritized in the early minutes.

Predicted score: Vietnam U17 1-0 Yemen U17.