Viet Tri, 6 Sep 2026 – Coach Yutaka Ikeuchi expressed his disappointment after Vietnam U20’s failed 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifying campaign, with the setback also affecting the next generation’s opportunity to compete at continental level.
Vietnam U20 suffered a 3-1 defeat to Iran in their final Group C qualifier at Viet Tri Stadium on the evening of September 6, bringing their campaign to an end with three consecutive losses.
The consequences extend beyond missing next year’s finals. Vietnam U20 have also been relegated to the Development Phase for the 2029 qualifying cycle, meaning the following generation will not have the opportunity to compete for a place at the U20 Asian Cup finals. Vietnam’s next opportunity to participate in the regular U20 Asian Cup qualifying pathway will therefore come in 2031.
Speaking after the defeat to Iran, Ikeuchi admitted his disappointment that the outcome would affect not only his current squad but also the generation that follows.
“Vietnam U20 played well in the first half and scored a goal, but we couldn’t maintain that performance in the second half,” Ikeuchi said.
“I am very disappointed that both this generation and the next generation of Vietnam U20 players will not be able to compete at the U20 Asian Cup finals.
“There are many promising players in this current squad. However, they lack opportunities to test themselves against strong opponents. If they can play more matches at this level, I believe they will continue to improve.
“After this campaign, I will review what happened together with the players and learn from the experience. At the moment, I don’t have any further plans regarding my work with Vietnamese youth football.”
Vietnam’s difficult qualifying campaign came amid personnel problems that had affected the team’s preparations for several months.
Ikeuchi was unable to consistently work with his strongest possible squad, as a number of the more experienced players remained with their clubs due to commitments in Vietnam’s professional competitions.
The squad available for the qualifiers was also relatively young compared with the tournament’s maximum age limit, leaving Vietnam at a disadvantage in terms of experience against some of their Group C opponents.
Vietnam eventually finished bottom of the group without a point following defeats to North Korea, Palestine and Iran, bringing a disappointing continental qualifying campaign to a close.
VSN/RPT
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