U17 Vietnam finalizes lineup, departs for training in Japan

Vietnam U17 will leave for Japan on the evening of November 5 to play 3 friendly matches arranged by the Japan Football Federation, before returning on November 16 to complete preparations for the 2026 AFC U17 Qualifiers, taking place from November 22 to 30, 2025 in Hanoi and Hung Yen. After 6 domestic testing matches, coach Cristiano Roland affirmed that the team has a framework and the players are quickly adapting to the playing style.

Japan training plan before 2026 AFC U17 qualifiers

According to the plan, U17 Vietnam will travel to Japan on the evening of November 5. During the training period, the team will play 3 friendly matches with professionally suitable opponents arranged by the Japan Football Federation. On November 16, the team will return to Vietnam to enter the final stage of completion, aiming for the 2026 AFC U17 Qualifiers, held from November 22 to 30, 2025 in Hanoi and Hung Yen.

One month of assembly: spirit and adaptation

Sharing before the training session on November 4, coach Cristiano Roland expressed his satisfaction with the attitude and adaptation speed of his players after nearly a month of training: “What makes me most satisfied over the past month is that the players always feel comfortable wearing the national team shirt. Some of them have trained before, while many of them are being called up for the first time. However, all of them show a desire to express themselves, get used to the team environment and adapt well to the playing style built by the coaching staff. They are showing confidence and clearly understanding their role in each situation. That is the foundation for the team to reach its strongest state when entering the 2026 AFC U17 Qualifiers.”

Six friendly matches and how to increase the difficulty

Regarding the recent series of 6 friendly matches, Coach Roland said that the team has been tested through many different "steps" to accumulate experience and increase adaptability: "We have carefully planned, arranged for the players to compete with opponents of different ages and levels - from domestic U18, U19, U21 players to the same-age opponent, U17 Cambodia. Through each match, the players have made clear progress and achieved the goals set by the Coaching Board. The upcoming three friendly matches during the training trip in Japan will also be very important, helping the whole team have the best preparation for the U17 Asian qualifiers."

Competition for positions and squad structure

In terms of personnel, U17 Vietnam has formed a framework but still maintains internal competition: “In fact, we have formed a framework for the squad since the first training session, and added new outstanding faces from the national U17 championship. My point of view is that all players must always be ready. The upcoming training trip to Japan will be an opportunity to perfect and strengthen the strongest squad.”

Respect every opponent, give 100% effort

Evaluating the qualifying round, coach Cristiano Roland emphasized a pragmatic and internally focused approach: “We have carefully studied our opponents. Each match is important and has its own potential difficulties. For me, the most important thing is that the players must fight with 100% spirit and ability. When we do that, we will make the match easier with our own ability.”

Training pace: relax after the U17 Cambodia match

On the afternoon of November 4 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center, U17 Vietnam had a relaxing training session. Having just finished a practice match with U17 Cambodia on the evening of November 3, the coaching staff prioritized muscle relaxation and energy regeneration, balancing the training load after a period of continuous physical and professional training.

Key milestones

• 11/3: Practice match with U17 Cambodia.
• November 4: Relaxing training session at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center.
• 5/11: Depart for Japan for training.
• During training period: 3 friendly matches with suitable opponents arranged by the Japan Football Federation.
• November 16: Return to Vietnam to complete preparations.
• November 22-30, 2025: 2026 AFC U17 Qualifiers in Hanoi and Hung Yen.

From the rhythm of assembling – increasing the difficulty – internal competition to the respect for all opponents, the preparation program of U17 Vietnam shows a systematic nature. The three trials in Japan are expected to be the final test before coach Cristiano Roland’s team enters the tournament in the best playing condition.