Kuala Lumpur, May 5, 2025 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifier draw will take place at 2:00 PM (Vietnam time) on May 29 at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters. Vietnam’s U23 team, ranked 5th in Asia and seeded in Group 1, is poised for a favorable draw as they aim for the finals in Saudi Arabia, per AFC announcements.
The qualifiers, featuring 44 teams across 11 groups of four, will run from September 1-9, 2025, in a centralized round-robin format. The 11 group winners and four best second-placed teams advance to the 2026 finals, joined by hosts Saudi Arabia, who qualify automatically. Vietnam, hosting a group alongside Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Qatar, Tajikistan, Thailand, and the UAE, benefits from home support at Viet Tri Stadium, akin to Hanoi Police FC’s Hang Day fervor, per VFF plans.
Vietnam’s top-seed status, based on strong performances at the 2020, 2022, and 2024 U23 Asian Cups, including a 2024 quarterfinal run, places them behind Uzbekistan, Japan, Iraq, and South Korea, per AFC rankings. Their 2018 runner-up finish and consistent youth development, mirroring Song Lam Nghe An’s academies, underscore their rise. The draw ensures Vietnam avoids fellow Group 1 seeds like Australia, Qatar, and Thailand, enhancing their chances, unlike The Cong Viettel’s V.League battles.
The draw process allocates the 11 host nations first, ensuring each hosts a unique group, with their group positions matching their seed tier. The remaining teams are drawn from four seeding pots, based on AFC’s points system:
- Group 1: Uzbekistan, Japan, Iraq, South Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Qatar, Thailand, Jordan, Tajikistan, UAE
- Group 2: Indonesia, Kuwait, Iran, Turkmenistan, Malaysia, China, Bahrain, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Cambodia
- Group 3: Myanmar, Oman, Singapore, Kyrgyzstan, India, Lebanon, Laos, Timor Leste, Chinese Taipei, Philippines, Hong Kong
- Group 4: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Guam, Pakistan, Macau, Nepal, Brunei, Bhutan, Northern Mariana Islands
Vietnam’s group, likely featuring winnable opponents like Malaysia or Laos, sets them up to top their table, leveraging Nguyen Van Tung’s six U23 goals, per VFF stats. Coach Hoang Anh Tuan, echoing Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s youth focus, targets a fifth straight finals appearance, aiming for a 2026 World Cup U23 berth. The draw, streamed live, fuels anticipation for Vietnam’s campaign, rivaling Nam Dinh FC’s V.League title chase, with 8,000 expected fans at Viet Tri boosting their quest.
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