In the final match of Group A, held on the evening of January 12th, Vietnam U23 defeated Saudi Arabia U23 1-0. With this result, Vietnam U23 advanced to the quarterfinals as group winners. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia U23 finished third with only 3 points and was eliminated. Jordan U23 won 1-0 against Kyrgyzstan U23 in the other match played at the same time, thus earning 6 points and advancing to the quarterfinals as group runners-up.
In Saudi Arabia, a journalist from Al-Bilad commented: "The Saudi Arabia U23 team officially exited the 2026 AFC U23 Championship in the most disappointing way possible. Coach Luigi Di Biagio's team failed to overcome their difficult situation, losing 0-1 to Vietnam U23 and finishing third in their group. Vietnam finished first, while Jordan U23 finished second – both teams that advanced."
Trung Kien and Dinh Bac delivered outstanding performances, helping Vietnam U23 defeat Saudi Arabia and secure a place in the quarterfinals.
"This result leaves the Saudi Arabian U23 team extremely disappointed. Coach Luigi Di Biagio's players participated in the tournament as the host team, with their best squad, but in all three matches they displayed unconvincing play. The connection between the three lines was very poor, and at the same time, in difficult moments, the team's stars, who were expected to perform well, such as Musab Fahd Aljuwayr and Khalid Al-Ghamdi, were all absent," Al-Bilad emphasized.
Saudi Arabia U.23 suffered a 0-1 defeat against Vietnam U.23 (in white jerseys) and were eliminated.
PHOTO: FACEBOOK SFA
An Al-Jazira journalist commented: “The U23 team’s elimination in the group stage will be a major blow to Saudi Arabia’s ambitions in continental football. More importantly, this is the generation of players that Saudi Arabia has placed high hopes on, aiming for important goals such as the Olympics or the 2030 World Cup. Certainly, after the tournament, those involved, including coach Luigi Di Biagio, will have to provide a clear explanation and take responsibility for this failure.”
Vietnam U23 deserved to be at the top.
Meanwhile, a journalist from Al Madina also assessed the early elimination of the Saudi Arabian U23 team as a major "shock" for fans. In addition, the Saudi Arabian newspaper also praised the performance of the Vietnamese U23 team. The Al Madina journalist stated: "In the race for a place in the quarterfinals, the Saudi Arabian U23 team might have been the most disadvantaged. Therefore, it's understandable that we pushed our formation forward and attacked at the start of the match."
However, the Vietnam U23 team proved they were no longer as inexperienced as in previous encounters with Saudi Arabia U23. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team played intelligently and maintained discipline in the first half, neutralizing most of Saudi Arabia U23's attacks. Furthermore, in the second half, Vietnam U23 strengthened their attack with high-class players, resulting in a goal conceded by a superb strike from Dinh Bac. As warned by the Saudi Arabian experts, Vietnam U23 proved to be very clever, luring Coach Luigi Di Biagio's team into a trap to finish them off.
Vietnam U23 proudly advances to the quarterfinals as group winners.
PHOTO: TED TRAN
“Many players in the Vietnam U23 team performed excellently, especially goalkeeper Trung Kien. In this match, the Vietnam U23 goalkeeper denied no fewer than four clear scoring opportunities for Saudi Arabia U23. In addition, stars like Dinh Bac and Le Phat, who came on in the second half, also showed their value. With such a promising team and having avoided a difficult bracket, Vietnam U23 can absolutely go far in this tournament,” Al Yawm commented .
Watch the entire 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship Finals on TV360 at https://tv360.vn. Enjoy a smooth multi-platform experience, rewind and replay, and free Viettel 4G/5G data.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bao-a-rap-xe-ut-ca-ngoi-u23-viet-nam-xung-dang-thang-vi-qua-khon-ngoan-va-dang-cap-185260113015015467.htm
Comment (0)