AFC issues warning to Vietnam U23 team.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) believes that the Vietnam U23 team needs to avoid a heavy defeat against Saudi Arabia U23 in the final match of Group A at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Vietnam U23 has its fate in its own hands, but it needs to be cautious.

After two matches, Vietnam U23 holds a clear advantage, leading the group with a perfect 6 points, while Saudi Arabia and Jordan both have 3 points and still have a chance to advance. The match in Riyadh is therefore considered the "final" for the top spot in the group.

Saudi Arabia's coach, Luigi Di Biagio, believes that the 2-3 defeat against Jordan in the previous match was just a setback. He asserted that the team still possesses sufficient potential to beat Vietnam.

"We have to analyze our mistakes, look at the statistics, identify periods of decline, and find ways to improve. It's important that the whole team learns and progresses together," Biagio emphasized.

Meanwhile, coach Kim Sang-sik's U23 Vietnam team holds its fate in its own hands. A draw would guarantee them first place in Group A and, more importantly, prevent them from facing defending champions Japan in the quarterfinals. However, the AFC warns that a heavy defeat could put Vietnam at risk of elimination.

Vietnam U23 has a historic opportunity against Saudi Arabia U23.

According to the AFC, the South Korean strategist had initially intended to rotate the squad to conserve the energy of key players for the decisive match, but Jordan's victory over Saudi Arabia forced a change in that plan.

History is also on the West Asian team's side, having previously beaten Vietnam 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2022 AFC U23 Championship. However, the AFC notes that a victory would be the first time in history that Vietnam U23 has won all three group stage matches – a special milestone for Southeast Asian football.

The match between Vietnam U23 and Saudi Arabia U23 will take place at 11:30 PM on January 12th ( Hanoi time) at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium.

All the goals from the Vietnam U23 vs. Kyrgyzstan U23 match: On the night of January 9th, a thrilling 2-1 victory against Kyrgyzstan U23 gave Vietnam U23 a perfect 6 points, opening the door to the quarterfinals of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Source: https://znews.vn/afc-canh-bao-u23-viet-nam-post1618844.html