Vietnam’s U16 side failed to progress to the Asian tournament’s finals in 2019. Coach Dinh The Nam’s players managed to defeat rivals Timor-Leste, Mongolia, and Macau (China) in group H in the qualifying round before suffering a defeat to Australia in the final match.

Despite failing to qualify for the tournament, the Vietnamese team received praise for their strong showing among the media and international community, including the Qatari press.

The friendly fixture is scheduled to get underway in Doha in October as part of preparations for Qatar’s U16 team ahead of their participation in the AFC U16 Championship 2020’s finals in November.

The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) is considering the proposal which is expected to represent an opportunity for Vietnam’s U16 side to sharpen their skills in a year when there are no major tournaments for them to compete in. The VFF will only allow the youth team to travel to Qatar once the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is brought under control in October.

Vietnam’s U16s were scheduled to take part in the ASEAN Football Federation U16 Youth Championship in Indonesia this year. However, the tournament has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year saw the Vietnamese team make it through to the semi-finals of the regional tournament which was hosted by Thailand. VOV