U17 Vietnam took a 1-0 lead from the 23rd minute, with Duy Khang scoring. But in the 87th minute, Faisal equalized 1-1 for the UAE U17 team. With this result, U17 Vietnam was eliminated with only 3 points, at the bottom of Group B. Meanwhile, U17 UAE, from the risk of being eliminated, rose to 2nd place in Group B with 4 points, and also won a ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup 2025.
The UAE U17 team has achieved its goal of reaching the World Cup. We played two difficult matches against Japan U17 and Australia, which affected the players' physical condition. Therefore, we tried to save our strength in the first half against U17 Vietnam, but when the opponent scored, we tried our best to equalize, said UAE U17 coach Majed Salem happily after the match.
Meanwhile, striker Mayed Ade said that he and his teammates at U17 UAE had experienced worried moments against U17 Vietnam. The West Asian team was very close to being eliminated but finally squeezed through a narrow door to continue, thanks to a late equalizer.
We know that the whole team will qualify for the World Cup and have prayed for good after the match. We made history with a ticket to the next round, this is a great opportunity for young players like us, Ade said.
This is the first time since 2023 that U17 UAE has a ticket to the FIFA U17 World Cup. In response to the home team's historic achievements, the UAE Football Association (UAE FA) sent its congratulations.
UAE FA President Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan expressed his delight at the birth of a new generation of talented players who will be key pillars of the national team in the future, and wished the team a successful quarter-final match.
Mr. Sheikh said: "The UAE Football Association will create the best conditions for the UAE U17 team to prepare best for the World Cup, helping the team to face major challenges in the upcoming tournament and perform well in their role".
In the quarter-finals of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship, U17 UAE will meet U17 Uzbekistan.
