What did the Japanese coach say when Vietnam officially qualified for the Asian Championship?

Coach Okiyama Masahiko and his squad expressed satisfaction after Vietnam’s U17 women's team earned qualification for the 2026 U17 Women's Asian Championship final round.

After the Vietnam U17 women's team officially qualified for the 2026 U17 Women's Asian Championship finals, Coach Okiyama Masahiko and his players showed contentment at achieving their set goal.

Speaking to the media after the match, Coach Okiyama Masahiko stated: “First of all, we secured two victories, thereby accomplishing our objective of qualifying for the final tournament. The team played with focus and kept a clean sheet in both matches. I am very proud of the team’s fighting spirit and effort.”

The sole goal scorer of the match, Hải Yến (number 13), also shared her joy: “I’m really happy that the team advanced. We prepared thoroughly for the game and everyone gave their best. Sometimes we didn’t quite understand each other, but we communicated to coordinate better in attack and managed to score.”

Revealing the coach’s instructions during halftime, Hải Yến said: “The coach told us that if we try hard, we can achieve it. The team always plays with a never-give-up attitude. If we unite, we will get good results. We had many chances but didn’t fully capitalize on them. I’m proud to have brought the win to the team.”

Hải Yến also highlighted that the training stint in Germany before the tournament was a valuable experience that helped the team grow: “From the start of the camp, the whole team was determined to advance. The trip to Germany taught us a lot of experience playing against older players. After the tournament, everyone will return to their clubs and continue to improve themselves, working on weaknesses to perform better in the next gathering.”

With two perfect wins and clean sheets, Vietnam’s U17 women’s team concluded the D group qualifiers impressively, securing an official ticket to the 2026 U17 Women's Asian Championship finals.

With the determination to qualify for the 2026 U17 Men's Asian Championship finals, the Vietnam Football Federation will continue to invest in the team, including a training camp in Japan aimed at enhancing the players’ professional skills and international competitive spirit.