Vietnamese U17 women’s football team to bring joy to local fans

Japanese head coach Akira Ijiri made the statement at a press conference on April 21 ahead of the opening qualification matches in Group C.

Playing in the home turf will give the Vietnamese team an advantage and they aim to achieve the best results possible, he said, adding the 2024 AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup will present a chance for the team to look ahead to the future over the next three to five years.

Evaluating the opponents in the group stage, the Japanese coach shared that both Uzbekistan and Palestine are strong and well-invested teams, and Vietnam must play cautiously as information about the two visiting teams is very limited.

Meanwhile, head coach of the Palestinian team Remah B.M. Mahmoud expressed high appreciation for the Vietnamese team, and said his team are ready for the upcoming fixtures.

Palestinian girls have trained very hard and have familiarised themselves with the field before the official matches. They are ready now, said Mahmoud.

There will be two rounds of qualification matches played as part of the 2024 AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup, with the first round scheduled to be played between April 22 and 30 and the second round slated to run from September 16 to 24. 

In the first round, Vietnam have been drawn in Group C alongside Bahrain, Palestine, and Uzbekistan. All matches of Group C will be held at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center on April 22, April 24, and April 26, respectively.