Quang Hung scored the only goal of the match as Vietnam overcame a difficult challenge from Yemen to make a winning start to their 2026 campaign.
The result also ended Vietnam’s decade-long winless run at the continental tournament. Their previous victory at the finals came in 2016, when they beat Kyrgyzstan 3-1 in the group stage.
With the win, Vietnam moved top of Group C after South Korea and the United Arab Emirates drew 1-1 in the other group match.
Vietnam had failed to progress beyond the group stage in the following three editions of the tournament, recording five draws and four defeats.
However, recent performances by Vietnam’s youth sides have shown clear signs of progress, including draws against Japan, Australia and the UAE at the 2025 AFC U17 Asian Cup finals.
Ahead of this year’s tournament, Vietnam were unbeaten in 16 official matches across all competitions, winning 10 and drawing six while scoring 55 goals and conceding only five.
Under head coach Cristiano Roland, Vietnam have produced a series of impressive displays.
In the AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers, Vietnam won all five matches, scoring 30 goals without conceding. At the 2026 ASEAN U17 Championship in April, the side remained unbeaten in five matches, winning four and drawing one while scoring 19 goals and conceding just once.
The performances mark one of the strongest runs by a Vietnamese youth team in recent years and reflect growing investment in youth development by the Vietnam Football Federation and domestic clubs.