U23 Vietnam Reach Asian Games 2026 Quarter-finals
U23 Vietnam suffered a 0-2 defeat to U23 Uzbekistan in their final Group C match of the men’s football tournament at the 2026 Asian Games. However, with four points from three matches, head coach Đinh Hồng Vinh’s side secured second place in the group and advanced to the quarter-finals.
29/09/2026 18:16:20
U23 Vietnam entered the match needing at least one point to secure qualification. However, facing a highly rated opponent, Đinh Hồng Vinh’s side conceded early. In the sixth minute, U23 Uzbekistan combined well in Vietnam’s half before captain Urinboev used a feint to beat his marker and fired home to open the scoring.
U23 Vietnam quickly looked for a response. In the 13th minute, Thành Nhàn rounded the Uzbekistan goalkeeper and found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Three minutes later, Ngọc Mỹ fired from outside the box, with the ball narrowly missing the post.
After a closely contested opening period, U23 Uzbekistan gradually regained control and increased the pressure on Cao Văn Bình’s goal. In the 26th minute, an Uzbekistan player unleashed a powerful instep drive that unsettled Vietnam’s defence. In the 41st minute, the Central Asian side created another dangerous opportunity, with a powerful effort narrowly clearing the crossbar.
After the restart, U23 Vietnam continued to withstand pressure from their opponents. In the 50th minute, Ibraimov took advantage of a quick transition to break through and go one-on-one with Cao Văn Bình before finishing to double Uzbekistan’s lead.
U23 Uzbekistan continued to control the game for the remainder of the match and secured a 2-0 victory. In the other Group C match played simultaneously, U23 Kuwait suffered a surprise 1-2 defeat to U23 Philippines, meaning they could not overtake U23 Vietnam in the standings.
With four points from three matches, U23 Vietnam finished second in Group C and achieved their first objective of reaching the quarter-finals of the men’s football tournament at the 2026 Asian Games.
According to the knockout draw, the Group C runners-up will face the Group D winners in the quarter-finals. After the second round of Group D matches, U23 South Korea and U23 Saudi Arabia had both secured qualification after recording victories over U23 Qatar. Therefore, their head-to-head match at 17:00 today (22 September) will determine the final positions in the group.
U23 South Korea currently have the better goal difference. Therefore, if the two teams draw, South Korea will finish top of Group D and face U23 Vietnam in the quarter-finals.
If U23 Saudi Arabia win, the West Asian side will move to the top of Group D and meet U23 Vietnam in the knockout stage.
U23 Vietnam will therefore learn their quarter-final opponents after the match between U23 South Korea and U23 Saudi Arabia concludes.
