Indonesian News: 'Vietnam is fortunate to be grouped with South Korea'

Right after the draw for the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Indonesian media simultaneously expressed their views on their team’s group and compared it with the other two Southeast Asian teams, Vietnam and Thailand.

Superball headline: "2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup Draw Results: Indonesia lands in the 'Group of Death', while Thailand and Vietnam have easier paths".

The article emphasized the draw results announced on the afternoon of February 12: "The 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup draw placed Indonesia's U17 team in the 'Group of Death', whereas Thailand and Vietnam are considered to have more favorable groups."

According to the draw, Indonesia's U17 team is in Group B alongside Japan, China, and Qatar. These are all teams with strong records at the continental U17 level. Japan is the most successful team in the tournament's history with four titles (1994, 2006, 2018, 2023). China has won twice (1994, 2004), and Qatar was champion once in 1990.

In this context, Indonesia faces an extremely tough challenge. Notably, the team coached by Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto recently played two friendlies against China’s U17 squad, losing 0-7 and 2-3 respectively.

Meanwhile, the article also highlighted the contrast with the other two Southeast Asian representatives. "In contrast, the other two Southeast Asian teams, Thailand and Vietnam, are seen as luckier. Vietnam is in Group C with South Korea, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)."

Although considered “easier” than Indonesia, Vietnam's U17 group still holds many challenges. Among the three opponents, South Korea is the most prestigious, having won the U17 continental championship twice. UAE and Yemen are also tough competitors, both having previously reached the final. Meanwhile, Vietnam's U17 team's best performance at the tournament remains a fourth-place finish in 2000.

The 2026 AFC U17 Asian Cup features 16 teams divided into 4 groups of 4 teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. Given the short format and the "one match can change everything" nature, the group stage competition is expected to be extremely intense right from the opening matches.

Notably, this year's tournament also serves as the qualification for the 2026 U17 World Cup. After FIFA increased the number of teams to 48, Asia was allocated 8 spots, corresponding to the top 8 teams at the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026. This means that just reaching the top 2 in each group nearly guarantees a World Cup berth, creating great motivation but also significant pressure.