Le Huy Viet Anh, a central defender for Vietnam’s U17 national team, has been named by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as one of the players to watch at the upcoming AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025.

“Vietnam U17 showed strong performances during the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, with significant contributions from defender Le Huy Viet Anh. Not only was he solid in defense, but he also scored a crucial equalizer in the 1-1 draw against Yemen,” the AFC noted in its recent preview.

A product of the PVF Football Academy, Viet Anh is known not only for his solid physique but also for his sharp footballing intelligence - qualities highly valued by head coach Cristiano Roland. It was Viet Anh’s goal against Yemen that helped Vietnam secure a spot in the final tournament.

Ahead of Vietnam's opening match against Australia, Viet Anh shared his emotions: “I feel both nervous and excited as we approach the tournament. The training camp in Oman and our two recent friendlies against U17 Oman were essential for building our confidence. Even though they were only friendlies, those wins gave us great motivation.”

When asked about being entrusted with the captain's armband, he said: “I’m very proud to take on this responsibility. Of course, there’s pressure, but I view it as motivation to lead by example, support my teammates, and step up on the pitch. I always remind everyone to stay focused, give their all, and never fear any opponent.”

Viet Anh added that the pitches in Saudi Arabia are in excellent condition and the team is quickly adjusting to the new time zone and hot climate.

“I hope fans will continue to follow and support us. We’ll give our best in every match,” he affirmed confidently.

At the group stage of the AFC U17 Asian Cup, Vietnam will face:

Australia at 22:00 on April 4
Japan at 22:00 on April 7
UAE at 22:00 on April 10

If Vietnam makes it through the group stage, they will qualify for the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025.

Dai Nam