HA NOI  (VNS) — Song Lam Nghe An's junior players left yesterday to tour Japan, a bonus given to the winners of the National U13 Football Championship.

The 18-member team, under coach Nguyen Huu Thang, will arrive in Narita City this morning, where they will play three friendly matches against local youth teams from Yamaguchi, Azul Claro Numazu and Vivace FC. These are clubs with their first teams taking part in J-League Division 1 and Division 2.

They will also have chances to watch the J-League match between Shimizu and Kashima, and another game in the Division 3's Azulclaro and Yamaguchi.

"The Vietnamese players are methodically trained in football. We believe the tour will bring both coaches and footballers more lessons for their future careers," said Hoang Ha, sales and marketing director of Yamaha Viet Nam, who is the main sponsor of the tournament.

The champions will return home on August 27.— VNS