Vietnam U16s to play int'l friendly tournament in Japan

ABO/NDO – Vietnam’s U16 team will participate in the 2018 Japan-ASEAN friendly football tournament in Miyazaki, Japan from March 8 to 12, which is expected to be an important warm-up for the Vietnamese players ahead of their 2018 AFC Championship campaign, slated for late September in Malaysia.

The Japan trip is a precious opportunity for Vietnam U16s to learn from other teams' experience.

A total of 18 players have been called up for a 10-day training course at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Centre prior to the Japan trip, including key players of the U15 squad – the 2017 AFF champions – and many popular faces of the U16 team who attended the 2018 AFC Championship qualification last year.

The international friendly tournament will bring together ten Southeast Asian teams; Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Brunei, Laos, Timor Leste and Vietnam, alongside the two host representatives, Japan U15s and the Miyazaki team.

The 12 participants will be divided into four groups and play in a round robin format, with the top team from each group meeting in the semifinals to duke it out for a position in the final match.

The Japan trip can be seen as a precious opportunity, not only for Vietnam U16s to learn from others’ experience but also for head coach Dinh The Nam to test his tactics and team selection in preparation for the upcoming AFC U16 Championship in Malaysia.

(Source: NDO)