Vietnam’s U16 national team were unable to pull off a surprise against Australia, suffering a 1-2 comeback defeat in their opening match at the CFA Team China U16 International Tournament 2025.

Scorers:
Vietnam U16: Dai Nhan (45’)
Australia U16: Pavlovic (81’), Owusu (83’)

Despite being seen as the underdogs, Vietnam U16 entered the match with confidence and managed to establish a balanced game against their Australian counterparts in the tournament opener held in Inner Mongolia, China.

After withstanding considerable pressure, the red-clad Vietnamese side stunned their opponents with a stoppage-time opener at the end of the first half, courtesy of Le Trong Dai Nhan’s well-timed strike.

In the second half, Australia pushed forward aggressively in search of an equalizer, applying relentless pressure. Although Vietnam defended valiantly, Pavlovic found the back of the net in the 81st minute to level the score. Just two minutes later, Owusu struck the winner to complete the comeback.

Final score: Vietnam U16 – 1, Australia U16 – 2.

Coach Cristiano Roland’s squad will next face the hosts, China U16, at 18:35 on May 30.

Thien Binh