Southeast Asian fans have mixed reactions to the U17 Asia draw results.

On the afternoon of February 12th, the Asian Football Confederation held the group stage draw for the 2026 U17 Asia Championship, with Vietnam’s U17 team drawn into Group C with U17 South Korea, U17 UAE, and U17 Yemen. This group is seen as manageable, offering a distinct chance for the head coach and his squad in their pursuit of a U17 World Cup ticket.

The 2026 U17 Asia Championship also serves as the qualification tournament for the 2026 U17 World Cup. After FIFA decided to increase the number of teams participating in the youth football festival to 48, Asia was allocated 8 spots. With a total of 16 teams in the U17 Asia final tournament, this means the top two teams from each group will secure their place at the World Cup. Therefore, the door to qualification is more open than ever before.

Fans across Southeast Asia have expressed differing opinions regarding the group draw results.

One fan commented: "Indonesia was lucky in the previous tournament, but this time it’s Thailand’s turn. Vietnam will have to work very hard."

Another fan remarked: "This is considered a trial to identify the core players of the teams... let’s wait and see."

A fan from Thailand showed sympathy for Vietnam’s U17 team: "Vietnam always ends up in groups with strong teams. Recently, their team has also improved a lot, which is quite interesting."

An Indonesian fan also expressed optimism: "Facing Qatar should be manageable."

Vietnam’s U17 team will be in Group C, where U17 South Korea is regarded as the strongest due to their well-established youth training system and consistent achievements over the years. However, the gap between youth teams in Asia is no longer very wide. Vietnam’s U17 squad can definitely cause surprises if they maintain discipline and a fighting spirit, similar to what previous youth teams have demonstrated in regional and continental competitions.

Meanwhile, U17 UAE and U17 Yemen are considered evenly matched opponents. Notably, U17 UAE was the team that caused heartbreak for Vietnam’s U17s last year. At that time, the Red team only needed to hold their advantage to qualify for the World Cup, but UAE’s equalizer at the 87th minute dashed all hopes. That painful memory is also a valuable lesson about resilience and focus until the very last moments.

That narrow defeat will undoubtedly serve as a strong motivation. The current generation of players understands that opportunities don’t come often. Given that the group is not considered overly tough, Vietnam’s U17 team has every right to dream of finishing in the top two. The key is to earn every point carefully, especially in direct matches against UAE and Yemen.