Vietnam U19 head coach Yutaka Ikeuchi said his team are fully prepared for the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship and are also building toward the 2027 AFC U20 qualifiers.

“Some players I had hoped to include could not join the squad due to objective reasons. Even so, Vietnam U19 still have many quality players available,” Ikeuchi said. “In terms of philosophy, I want the entire team to participate smoothly in both attack and defense.”

The Japanese coach also highlighted the professional value of Vietnam U19’s recent training camp in Japan. During the trip, the team faced physically strong and technically skilled opponents, helping players gain valuable experience and improve their competitive mentality.

Assessing the competition at the 2026 Southeast Asian U19 Championship, Ikeuchi described hosts Indonesia as Vietnam’s biggest challenge in the group stage. He noted that Indonesia possess several players who previously competed at the FIFA U17 World Cup and have a very high technical level.

“Indonesia are certainly a very strong opponent. But our goal remains to go as far as possible and achieve the best possible result at the tournament,” he said.

When asked about the pressure of expectations following a series of positive results by Vietnam’s youth teams and senior national team in recent years, Ikeuchi acknowledged that pressure is an inseparable part of coaching.

“For me, coaching always comes with pressure. At a time when Vietnamese football is developing strongly, I hope I can contribute to the development of this Vietnam U19 generation and help the team achieve good results,” he added.

Vietnam U19 are scheduled to depart for Indonesia on May 28. Following the draw, Ikeuchi’s side were placed in Group A alongside hosts Indonesia, Myanmar and Timor-Leste.

The tournament will run from June 1 to June 14 and is considered an important stepping stone toward the 2027 AFC U20 qualification campaign.

Dai Nam