Vietnam's U20 women's team unexpectedly reunites with former coach in Asian quarterfinals: A fateful encounter

The players of Vietnam's U20 women's national team will have a special reunion with coach Akira Ijiri in the 2026 U20 Asian quarterfinal match.

The quarterfinal match between Vietnam's U20 women's team and Japan's U20 women's team is not only a professional competition but also brings a special story on the coaching bench. The head coach of Japan's U20 women's team, Mr. Akira Ijiri, once had a long association with Vietnam's youth women's national teams, and now he will face his former students in a knockout match.

In the past, Mr. Ijiri was one of the key experts in the training of Vietnam's youth women's football, directly guiding teams from U16 to U20 women's Vietnam. His understanding of the players and the Vietnamese football environment provides the Japanese strategist with additional basis for preparing for this notable reunion.

Nevertheless, in his current position, the 55-year-old coach affirmed that he will not let emotional factors interfere but will focus maximally on the goal of advancing deep into the tournament with the team from the land of the rising sun.

"We will continue to do everything in the current way. The whole team has prepared well, and the important thing is to maintain stability in our playing style", Coach Ijiri shared before the match.

Evaluating the opponent, the Japanese tactician shared: "We will analyze the opponent thoroughly and prepare in a way that helps the team best express what belongs to Japanese football. I will not change my approach; everything will proceed as usual", he emphasized.

In the past, the connection between Coach Akira Ijiri and Vietnamese women's football lasted for six years, starting from 2019 within the framework of cooperation between the Vietnam Football Federation and Japan. During this period, he played a crucial role in training young player generations, contributing to improving professional quality and laying the foundation for the national women's team. Under his guidance, Vietnam's U19 women's team once won the runner-up position in Southeast Asia in 2023. Notably, it was Mr. Ijiri himself who helped Vietnam's U20 team participate in the U20 Asian Championship for the first time in 2024.