U17 Vietnam crush Northern Mariana Islands to take top spot in group C

U17 Vietnam delivered a dominant performance to beat Northern Mariana Islands 14-0 in their second match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, played at PVF Stadium in Hung Yen on November 24. The result allowed the team to surpass Malaysia to claim the top position in Group C after two rounds. Earlier in the opening match, Vietnam defeated Singapore 6-0, while Malaysia recorded a 13-0 win over Northern Mariana Islands. In the second round, Malaysia struggled but managed a narrow 1-0 win over Hong Kong in the early fixture, meaning Vietnam only needed a nine-goal margin to move above them. However, the match turned out far easier than expected.

Northern Mariana Islands, a small territory in the Western Pacific with a population of around 55,000, fielded a team lacking experience and physical strength compared to Vietnam. Their national team is not even ranked by FIFA. Against such an inferior opponent, Vietnam focused on maximizing the score to claim the best possible goal difference. The match began perfectly, with Tran Manh Quan opening the scoring just 32 seconds after kick-off. In the 16th minute, Chu Ngoc Nguyen Luc provided an incisive through pass for Manh Quan to finish from a tight angle, doubling Vietnam’s lead.

Vietnam continued to pour forward relentlessly. Van Duong scored twice in quick succession, converting a penalty in the 21st minute before adding another from close range two minutes later. As goals kept coming, Vietnam players no longer celebrated, instead picking up the ball and sprinting back to the halfway line, signalling their determination to push the score even higher. Northern Mariana Islands could not withstand the pressure as Vietnam added 10 more goals through eight different players, completing a resounding 14-0 victory.

This result is not Vietnam’s biggest-ever win in U17 Asian Cup Qualifier history, as they defeated Guam 18-0 in 2016. The overall record still belongs to Tajikistan, who beat Guam 33-0 in the 2025 Qualifiers. In the other Group C match of the day, Singapore and Macau drew 1-1. These results place Vietnam at the top of the table with six points and a goal difference of +20, ahead of Malaysia who also have six points but a goal difference of +14.

Matchday three will take place on November 26, with Vietnam facing Hong Kong, while Malaysia and Singapore will meet Macau and Northern Mariana Islands respectively. The AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers run from November 22 to November 30, featuring 38 teams across seven host nations: Vietnam, Thailand, China, India, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan. Teams play a single round-robin format, with the seven group winners qualifying for the finals. The AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 final tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia from May 7 to May 24, 2026. Nine teams have already secured direct qualification: hosts Saudi Arabia and the eight quarterfinalists from the 2025 edition, including Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Qatar, South Korea, Tajikistan, UAE and Uzbekistan.