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Vietnam before the U19 Futsal tournament: Flag error causes outrage!
On October 28, 2025, the draw for the U19 and U16 Futsal Championships took place in Thailand, accompanied by controversy.
Vietnam before the U19 Futsal tournament: Flag error causes outrage!
The draw for the 2025 South Asia Under-19 and Under-16 Futsal Tournament was held on October 28 in Nonthaburi, Thailand. A mishap caused a stir: instead of the Vietnamese flag, that of the People's Republic of China was shown on the Vietnamese team's badge. This glitch has prompted the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) to express concerns about the impact on Vietnam's image and solidarity within the ASEAN community. The VFF called on the Southeast Asian Football Federation (AFF) to immediately resolve the incident and ensure that similar mistakes are avoided in the future.
The incident was met with great outrage from spectators and fans, especially as the video of the draw was taken down almost an hour after the error. Despite this mishap, the Vietnamese U19 Futsal team is clearly in focus in the U19 Futsal Championship. They play in Group A against Thailand and Brunei, while Group B includes teams Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia and Cambodia. The tournament, which will be held at the Nonthaburi Provincial Gymnasium from December 23rd to 29th, 2025, promises exciting matches as the best two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals. The 2025 U16 Futsal Championship will also feature five teams including Thailand and Vietnam, with the top two teams meeting in the final.
Vietnam triumphs against Thailand
A few days earlier, on October 28th, the Vietnamese national futsal team celebrated a great success. In the group stage of the 2024 AFF Futsal Championship, the team managed a brilliant 3-2 win against Thailand under coach Diego Giustozzi. The team entered the game with a perfect record of four wins and had already secured a spot in the semifinals. Nevertheless, the Vietnamese were determined to win this final game.
The match started with offensive actions on both sides. However, a mishap occurred in the third minute: an own goal by pivot Thịnh Phát put Thailand in the lead. Vietnam did not let this discourage them and increased the tempo, with goalkeeper Văn Tú making several important saves. The equalizer to make it 1-1 came in the 12th minute through Đức Hòa, who was successful after a corner from Minh Quang. In the second half the game became more intense as a result of aggressive tackles and yellow cards. Vietnam finally managed to equalize 2-2 through Công Viên in the 35th minute and even made it 3-2 shortly afterwards.
Despite the Thai team's best efforts in the final minutes, they were unable to overcome Vietnam's robust defense. This means the Vietnamese will advance to the semi-finals, where they will face Australia on November 8th. Thailand meets Indonesia.
Looking at the ASEAN Futsal Championship
The ASEAN Futsal Championship, formerly known as the AFF Futsal Championship, is a major international futsal tournament sanctioned by the ASEAN Football Federation since 2001. Thailand is the most successful team so far with a total of 16 titles, while Vietnam has also made a name for itself, winning three titles (2009, 2012 and 2024). These tournaments not only provide a platform for competition, but also an opportunity for emerging talent in the region to prove themselves.
With the upcoming U19 and U16 Futsal Championships, it is clear that the sport of futsal continues to grow and gain importance in Vietnam and the entire ASEAN region. From November 16th, the Vietnamese national futsal team will prepare for the coming challenges in Ho Chi Minh City. Anticipation is high on the stages of these important competitions and spectators can expect an exciting futsal spectacle.
For more information on recent events in futsal, see the pages of Vietnam.vn, VFF.org.vn or take a look at the comprehensive information on the ASEAN Futsal Championship.