Vietnam U23 suffer narrow defeat to Syria U23 in pre-AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 test
On the afternoon of December 30 (local time), the Vietnam U23 team played an important friendly match against Syria U23 as part of their training camp in Qatar, aimed at assessing personnel and fine-tuning preparations ahead of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
31/12/2025 09:39:00
Reflecting the nature of a technical “test,” both teams adopted a cautious approach in the opening stages, prioritizing defensive organization. The first half was played at a moderate tempo, with few clear-cut chances created, as both Vietnam U23 and Syria U23 focused on controlling the midfield and minimizing defensive errors.
In the 41st minute, Syria U23 made good use of an attack down the left flank to break the deadlock. From a quick attacking move, the Vietnam U23 defense failed to close down in time, allowing the opponents to finish clinically and take a 1–0 lead.
In stoppage time at the end of the first half, Vietnam U23 had a golden opportunity to draw level. Phi Hoang broke through on the left flank before delivering an accurate cross into the penalty area for Van Thuan, who rose high to head the ball in a relatively unchallenged position. However, his effort narrowly missed the post.
After the break, head coach Kim Sang-sik proactively refreshed the lineup, giving many players a chance to feature. The friendly allowed for unlimited substitutions in both halves, serving the coaching staffs of both teams in maximizing experimentation and squad assessment.
In the 58th minute, Syria U23 doubled their lead with a well-worked attacking move down the right flank. From a dangerous low cross into the box, Osman reacted quickly to finish from close range, leaving the Vietnam U23 goalkeeper with no chance to save.
Despite going two goals down, Vietnam U23 maintained a good tempo, working hard to regain control and pushing higher up the pitch to organize attacks in the remaining minutes. The personnel adjustments injected more energy into the team’s play, creating several promising approaches towards the opponents’ goal.
Vietnam U23’s efforts were rewarded in the 87th minute, when the youngest player in the squad, Le Phat, scored to reduce the deficit to 1–2. Showing composure inside the penalty area, Le Phat produced a neat finish to pull one back for Vietnam U23. The goal also proved to be the final action of the match.\
The friendly match against Syria U23 provided the Vietnam U23 coaching staff with valuable technical insights as they continued to review the squad, assess players’ form and adaptability, ahead of finalizing the official 23-man list for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Finals.
Following the training camp in Qatar, Vietnam U23 will travel to Saudi Arabia on January 2, 2026, to officially begin their continental campaign.
