u20 viet nam 2.jpg
Vietnam U20 faced a serious risk of relegation heading into their final group match. Photo: Doan Ca

Despite a determined performance, Vietnam U20 were unable to overcome Iran U20 in their final Group C fixture of the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers. The result left coach Yutaka Ikeuchi’s side with three defeats from three matches and bottom of the group, ending their hopes of reaching next year’s finals and confirming their relegation.

Under AFC regulations, the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers are directly linked to the tier allocation for the following edition of the competition. At the end of the group stage, besides determining the 15 teams advancing to the finals - the eight group winners and seven best runners-up - the qualifiers also decide which teams will be relegated to the Development tier, or second division.

Under the system, six of the eight lowest-ranked teams finishing bottom of their groups in the 2027 qualifiers are relegated. Among the eight bottom-placed sides, Cambodia U20 and Turkmenistan U20 both collected three points, meaning Vietnam U20 and the other five teams - Afghanistan U20, Hong Kong (China) U20, Laos U20, Bangladesh U20 and the Philippines U20 - will drop to the lower tier for the next cycle.

bxh u20.jpg
Vietnam U20 are among the six teams relegated to the lower tier.

As a result, Vietnam will not take part in the 2029 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifiers and will therefore have no opportunity to compete for a place at the finals. The next generation of Vietnam U20 players will instead have to compete in the Development tier for a chance to return to the qualifiers for the 2031 AFC U20 Asian Cup.

The outcome is particularly disappointing because by 2029, most members of Vietnam’s current U17 generation - which recently secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup - will have reached U20 age but will be unable to compete at the 2029 AFC U20 Asian Cup finals. The Vietnam Football Federation has been investing heavily in the current U17 generation with a view to preparing them for major competitions in the years ahead.

Dai Nam