Vietnam are in the “Group of Death” at the ASEAN U-16 Football Championship.

The Vietnamese squad is in Group A with the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Australia and Malaysia, where the two latter teams are considered strong rivals at this year’s tournament.

Vietnam lost 0-1 to Australia in the last Group J match in 2015’s Asian championship.

Malaysia beat Vietnam 1-0 in the first match of the regional tournament last July.

In Group B, champions Thailand have an easy draw and look all set to protect their crown. They will play Laos, Campuchia, East Timor and Brunei.

The tournament, which kicks off on July 10 and ends 13 days later in Cambodia, is a warm-up event for Vietnam, Thailand, Australia and Malaysia ahead of the Asian championship to be held in India this September. The tournament also serves as a qualification round for the 2017 World U-17 Cup.

The Vietnamese players will be summoned for a short training course in Hanoi in early July before leaving for Cambodia.

VNS