Vietnam U19 overcomes difficulties to compete in the Southeast Asian Championship

The Vietnam U19 team set off for Indonesia to compete in the 2026 Southeast Asian Championship amid a host of difficulties, as admitted by head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi.

According to information from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), the Vietnam U19 team departed from Ho Chi Minh City at 09:50 on a flight to Jakarta, landing at 13:00 local time.

Afterward, the entire team continued with a domestic flight from Jakarta to Medan, the host city of the tournament, departing at 16:35 and arriving around 19:00.

The total travel time lasted nearly a full day, including connecting flights and waiting time between the two legs, posing considerable physical challenges for the young players.

Due to limited flight routes to Medan, this was the most feasible travel option for the Vietnam U19 team.

Therefore, the VFF facilitated the team's move to Ho Chi Minh City one day before departure, and also arranged an extra training session there to help the players maintain their physical condition and minimize the impact of the long journey.

Before departure, head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi also trimmed the squad list down to 25 players.

According to the plan, the coaching staff will continue to evaluate and finalize the official 23-player squad one day before the opening match of the tournament.

The Vietnam U19 team is in Group A of the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship, alongside hosts Indonesia, Timor Leste, and Myanmar. Group B consists of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. Group C includes Australia, Cambodia, and the Philippines.

According to the schedule, Vietnam U19 will face Timor Leste (June 1), Myanmar (June 4), and Indonesia (June 7).

All matches of the 2026 ASEAN U19 Championship, taking place from June 1 to 14 in Indonesia, will be broadcast live and in full to fans nationwide on TV360.