Japanese Coach Takes Vietnam's Youth Team to China

Coach Okiyama Masahiko will accompany the Vietnam U20 women's team for training in China as they get ready for the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship finals.

Ahead of the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship finals, the Vietnam U20 women's team officially gathered on February 23 at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center.

This training camp includes 30 athletes from various organizations: Sports Center II – Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ninh Binh Province, Sports Training and Competition Center of Thai Nguyen, Sports Training and Competition Center of Hanoi, and Thong Nhat Sports Center. The team continues to be led by head coach Okiyama Masahiko, who has guided the players successfully through the group stage.

On the afternoon of February 23, the entire squad began their first training session. According to the plan, the Vietnam U20 women's team will maintain a schedule of two training sessions per day at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center for two weeks to strengthen physical fitness, tactical skills, and review the squad.

From March 6 to March 14, Coach Okiyama Masahiko and his team will travel to China for training, friendly matches, and to enhance their skills. Afterwards, the team will return home and from March 15 to March 28 will be based in Ho Chi Minh City to acclimate to weather conditions similar to Bangkok, Thailand — the venue for the finals.

During their training period in Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam U20 women's team is expected to play two quality friendly matches against the Uzbekistan U20 women's team on March 24 and March 27. These are considered important tests before the official tournament.

On March 29, the entire team will depart for Bangkok, Thailand, to participate in the 2026 AFC U20 Women's Championship finals. In Group A, Vietnam U20 women will face China U20, host Thailand, and Bangladesh on April 1, April 4, and April 7 respectively.

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