Before the final match of Group I of the 2025 AFC U17 Championship qualifiers against U17 Yemen, U17 Vietnam unexpectedly received good news.

Because U.17 Myanmar defeated U.17 Kyrgyzstan with a score of 2-1, the Kyrgyzstan youth team was pushed to the bottom of the table. Therefore, if they finished second in the table and had to compare points with other second-placed teams, U.17 Vietnam would only be deducted 1 point (due to a 0-0 draw with U.17 Kyrgyzstan). This is a huge advantage, compared to being deducted 3 points if U.17 Myanmar finished last in the table.

However, U.17 Vietnam still decided to play offensively right after the opening whistle. However, before they could impose their position, U.17 Vietnam paid the price for Nguyen Thai Hoa's mistake. In the 12th minute, the midfielder wearing the number 6 shirt held the ball in the middle of the field and tried to escape despite being surrounded by opponents. Thai Hoa lost the ball, and immediately Abdullah Saeed passed the ball to Karem Abdulatef who ran down and finished neatly in a one-on-one situation, opening the score for U.17 Yemen.

The play style based on the ability to quickly switch from defense to attack of U.17 Yemen made the host U.17 Vietnam struggle to defend. Although they did not hold the ball much, every time they gained control, the young West Asian team circulated the ball very quickly, opening up a wide path to Hoa Xuan Tin's goal.

However, when the psychological pressure and the wet field in Phu Tho were hindering the play of coach Roland and his team, captain Le Huy Viet Anh spoke up at the right time. In the 30th minute, Dau Hong Phong took a free kick from the right wing, creating a chaotic situation in front of the U.17 Yemen goal. Viet Anh quickly seized the opportunity to shoot the ball into the near corner, bringing the match back to the starting line.

U.17 Vietnam then avoided a goal at the end of the first half due to the referee's error of judgment, when Abdulatef cleverly escaped to face goalkeeper Xuan Tin and was called offside. However, slow-motion replays showed that the U.17 Yemen striker was still standing half a step above the U.17 Vietnam defender.

After the break, U.17 Vietnam prioritized playing more solidly, avoiding dangerous ball losses like in the first half. U.17 Yemen had more reason to play cautiously, because 1 point was enough for this team to be present in the final round.

Perhaps with the calculation that 1 point was enough to continue as the best runner-up, U.17 Vietnam also did not push the tempo any further. The match became boring and unattractive in the second half, when the ball was only passed back and forth in the middle of the field.

Coach Roland's players had more possession of the ball, but did not push their formation higher. The calculation of U.17 Vietnam was very clear: avoid all risks, try to keep 1 point and wait for favorable results from other groups to continue with the best second place.

The "ghost match" between U.17 Vietnam and U.17 Yemen ended with a score of 1-1. The West Asian team won a ticket to the 2025 AFC U-17 Championship finals. As for U.17 Vietnam, the second place in the group with 5 points (meaning 4 points when deducting the result with the bottom team) helps coach Roland and his team likely to also qualify for the qualifying round.