U23 Vietnam held to a disappointing draw against Kuwait in ASIAD 2026 opener
U23 Vietnam produced a positive performance in their opening Group C match of the men’s football tournament at ASIAD 2026, creating numerous chances and dominating much of the game against U23 Kuwait. However, a lack of luck in front of goal saw head coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s side settle for a 1-1 draw.
28/09/2026 09:39:28In the earlier Group C match, U23 Uzbekistan secured a 5-1 victory over U23 Philippines. The result has made the Group C race more clearly defined, while also highlighting the need for U23 Vietnam to make the most of their opportunities in the two matches against Kuwait and the Philippines before facing Uzbekistan in the final group-stage fixture.
Determined to secure a positive result, U23 Vietnam pushed forward and applied pressure from the opening whistle. In the first eight minutes alone, Dinh Hong Vinh’s side registered four shots on Kuwait’s goal. Le Phat came closest, hitting the post and crossbar with two consecutive attempts.
It was not until the 23rd minute that U23 Kuwait created their first significant threat. Alabdulsalam Montaser unleashed a shot from just outside the penalty area, but goalkeeper Cao Van Binh was equal to the effort.
Four minutes later, U23 Vietnam created another dangerous opportunity. Following a combination between Quoc Viet and Thanh Nhan, the Cong An Nhan Dan forward produced a fine angled effort, only to see the ball strike the post once again.
In the 29th minute, Quoc Cuong found himself with an opportunity after a neat passing move by the Vietnam players. However, the midfielder’s effort went just wide of the post. In the 41st minute, U23 Kuwait recorded their second shot of the match, with Alqaisi Talal firing a powerful effort straight at Cao Van Binh.
U23 Kuwait created an early chance after the restart, as Alqaisi Talal sent his effort over the crossbar. U23 Vietnam quickly responded with successive opportunities for Le Phat, Xuan Bac and Quoc Cuong, keeping the Kuwait goalkeeper busy.
As the match progressed, head coach Dinh Hong Vinh introduced Ngoc My and Van Thuan to strengthen the attack. U23 Vietnam continued to maintain the pressure, but it was Kuwait who broke the deadlock.
In the 79th minute, from a free-kick outside the penalty area, Almatar Omar rose highest to head the ball into the net, putting Kuwait ahead.
Unwilling to accept the setback, U23 Vietnam immediately pushed forward. Just three minutes later, they found the equaliser. From Le Van Thuan’s corner kick from the right, Ngoc My rose high to head the ball into the Kuwait net and bring the match level.
The 1-1 scoreline remained unchanged until the final whistle. It was a disappointing result for U23 Vietnam, who created numerous chances and enjoyed the better of the play for much of the match.
Despite collecting only one point in their opening game, U23 Vietnam remain firmly in contention for a place in the quarter-finals. Dinh Hong Vinh’s side will now target a victory over U23 Philippines in their next match to strengthen their position in the race for qualification.
