AFC comments on the opening match between Vietnam U17 and Thailand U17

The 2026 AFC U17 Women's Asian Championship officially kicks off on May 1st in Suzhou, promising exciting matches among the top youth teams in the region, as well as an opportunity to compete for World Cup qualification.

Notably, the tournament's opening match will be a showdown between Vietnam Women's U17 and Thailand Women's U17, taking place on Pitch 1 at Taihu Football Sports Center at 15:30 on May 1st. This is considered a notable encounter between two Southeast Asian representatives.

Regarding this clash, AFC remarked: "In terms of achievements, Thailand previously secured third place in 2005, while Vietnam is only participating for the second time, after their debut in 2019 where they stopped at the group stage. Therefore, this match holds significant importance for both teams in the race for advancement."

At 19:30 on the same day, the host nation China will begin their quest for the championship when they face Myanmar at Suzhou Sports Center Stadium. China aims to surpass their runner-up result from 2005 to claim their first title on home soil.

The host team enters the tournament with high confidence after finishing fourth in the 2024 edition, and also aims to extend their streak of appearances at youth World Cups. Meanwhile, Myanmar marks their return after their first participation in 2009.

At the 2026 AFC U17 Asian Championship finals, the top four teams will earn qualification for the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup 2026, adding further competitive motivation for the teams.

Regarding Vietnam Women's U17, the team recently completed a training camp in Japan to prepare for the tournament in early April. After returning home, the Vietnam Women's U17 team will continue training at the Vietnam Youth Football Training Center for about two weeks to finalize their preparations.