Revealing the journey of Vietnam’s U20 women’s team in their quest for a World Cup spot

Kuala Lumpur, April 28, 2025 – The draw for the 2026 AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, held on April 28 at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, placed Vietnam’s U20 women’s team in Group B alongside Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong (China), and Singapore. Hosting their matches in Vietnam from August 2-10, 2025, the team aims to secure one of 11 spots for the final tournament in Thailand, a crucial step toward the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

The qualifiers feature 33 teams across eight groups—seven with four teams and one with five—competing in a single round-robin format at centralized venues in Bhutan, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. Group B’s Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian side, is a “mystery” to analysts, with little data on their strength, unlike Hong Kong and Singapore, absent from the finals since 2004. Vietnam, with six appearances and a 2004 quarterfinal run, holds a favorable draw, bolstered by home support at Viet Tri Stadium, which drew 7,000 fans per match in 2024 qualifiers, per VFF records.

The top team from each group and the three best second-placed teams advance to the finals (April 1-18, 2026), joining hosts Thailand. The top four teams there earn World Cup berths. Vietnam’s 2024 campaign, where they scored their first finals goal against China, fuels optimism, despite a tough Group B with Japan, North Korea, and China. Coach Akira Ijiri’s squad, featuring Hanoi Police FC’s Nguyen Thu Xuan, leverages Song Lam Nghe An-like youth systems.

Kyrgyzstan’s obscurity poses a tactical challenge, but Vietnam’s preparation, including a planned Japan camp mirroring The Cong Viettel’s training model, aims to exploit their home advantage. Hong Kong’s pace and Singapore’s defensive grit, seen in 2023 SEA Games, are familiar hurdles. With Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s academy model inspiring growth, Vietnam targets a seventh finals appearance, aiming to surpass their 2018 quarterfinal exit and challenge Asia’s elite, like Japan’s 2024 champions, for a historic World Cup spot.