AFFU16: Indonesia and Vietnam hit the right note in Group A
Host Indonesia and Vietnam started their Group A campaign in the AFF Under-16 Championship 2022 on the right note when they each collected the full points against the Philippines and Singapore respectively.
At the Sultan Agung Bantul Stadium, Vietnam started their campaign with a confidence-boosting 5-1 win over Singapore.
Singapore had started well enough but a mistake in the ninth minute would cost them dearly when a poor clearance saw the ball falling onto the path of Nguyen Huu Trong, who did not need an invite for the easy finish.
With a goal in the bag, Vietnam seemed to be growing in confidence, and in the 23rd minute, the hard-running Phan Thanh Duc Thien bore the team’s second goal with a well-worked finish.
And while Muhammad Rasul Ramli gave Singapore a lifeline in the 45th minute with a well-taken freekick, Vietnam made sure of their two-goal advantage at the break when Nguyen Xuan Toan unleashed a floater to the far post.
The substitution for the nippy Huynh Van Danh in the 55th minute gave Vietnam instant jubilation when he headed home the corner with his first touch of the game to put the score at 4-1.
However, Vietnam had to play with a man less in the 89th minute when Huu Trong picked up his second yellow that referee Pansa Chaisanit from Thailand had little choice but to give him his marching orders.
But in spite of that setback, Vietnam still trudged on and with seconds left on the clock, Hoang Cong Hau weaved past three defenders before slamming home the ball beyond the reach of Singapore custodian Kaiden Ng.
AFF UNDER-16 CHAMPIONSHIP 2022
31 July 2022
GROUP A
RESULTS
Vietnam 5-1 Singapore
Indonesia 2-0 Philippines
1 August 2022
GROUP B
FIXTURES
1500hrs (Sultan Agung Bantul Stadium): Timor Leste vs Laos
1900hrs (Maguwoharjo Sleman Stadium): Thailand vs Brunei DS
