(VNF) - Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien sent a letter of congratulations to the U19 players and coaching board.

Vietnamese midfielder Bui Tien Dung (left) tries to run a ball away from Bahrain’s players during their AFC U19 Championship’s quarter-finals. (Photo: vietnamnet.vn)

In his letter, Minister Thien wrote that Vietnamese people were excited by the outstanding success of the U19s at the Asian Football Confederation Championship recently in Bahrain.

It was the first time a team from Vietnam has made it to the AFC semi-finals round and booked their berth in the World Cup for U20s next year.

It also was a historic victory for Vietnam’s youth football and also a proud moment for national sport in general, and football in particular.

On behalf of the Ministry, Minister Thien congratulated and praised head coach Hoang Anh Tuan along with all players, assistants and officials of the squad. He hoped that they would take advantage of their discipline, spirit and effort to grab more successes in the future.

Vietnam won 1-0 and bagged a berth in the U20 World Cup next year. (Photo: vietnamnet.vn)

As one of the top four teams, Vietnam has now qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, to be held in South Korea next year.

While both teams took a cautious approach into the match, neither side really dominating the first half, it was Vietnam who launched more attacks than hosts Bahrain.

In the 56^th minute Vietnam’s coach Hoang Anh Tuan indicated his intent to settle the game inside 90 minutes, when he substituted defender Van Hao for striker Duc Chinh.

The move paid off not long after, when in the 72^nd minute, Ho Minh Di smashed a volley from a long free kick into the box and Tran Tranh deftly converted by redirecting the cross-shot over the Bahrain goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and into the net with a first-time chip.

On taking the lead, Vietnam’s defense then held firm, goalkeeper Tien Dung making at least two important saves, denying the panicked Bahrainis any chance of an equalizer.

The team was not expected to advance this far in the championship, but have now made it to the last four./.

( Compiled by VNF )