Indonesian media praised Vietnam's U17 team for reaching the Southeast Asian finals.

Indonesian press commended Vietnam U17's performance after their 2-1 victory over Australia U17 in the semifinals of the 2026 Southeast Asian U17 Championship.

In its coverage, CNN Indonesia praised the competitive spirit of coach Cristiano Roland's team, especially their ability to stage a comeback against a higher-rated opponent.

"The Vietnam U17 team excellently secured a spot in the final of the 2026 AFF U17 Cup after defeating Australia U17 2-1 in the semifinal held at Gelora Delta Sidoarjo Stadium on Wednesday evening (22/4)," CNN Indonesia began its article.

According to CNN Indonesia, Australia U17 started confidently and scored an early goal in the 10th minute thanks to Luke Becvinovski. However, Vietnam U17 did not falter and quickly regained control with consecutive attacking plays.

The archipelago nation's newspaper highlighted the match's turning point at the end of the first half, when Vietnam U17 received a penalty during stoppage time. Although Truong Dai Nam could not score from the 11-meter spot, Nguyen Manh Cuong timely appeared to head in the rebound, bringing the match back to a 1-1 balance.

In the second half, CNN Indonesia noted that Vietnam U17 continued to maintain pressure and showed effectiveness in set-piece situations. Nguyen Luc's decisive goal from a free kick in the 60th minute was seen as the "key moment" that completed the red-shirted team's comeback.

Additionally, the newspaper mentioned that Australia U17 had to play with fewer men in the final minutes after Marcus Savic's red card, making their efforts to find an equalizer nearly impossible.

Concluding the article, CNN Indonesia stated that Vietnam U17 deserved to be in the final due to their resilient fighting spirit and good ability to seize opportunities. The young team of the "Golden Star Warriors" is expected to continue displaying impressive form when they face Malaysia U17 in the championship match.