Chinese media reports: "The disallowed goal against Vietnam U23 team is controversial."

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - VAR became the focus of attention in the 2026 U23 Asian Championship semi-final match between China U23 and Vietnam U23, when Peng Xiao's goal was disallowed after the main referee reviewed the video footage.

China U23 defeated Vietnam U23 3-0 in the semi-final of the AFC U23 Asian Cup on the evening of January 20th. During the match, a goal for China U23 was disallowed in the 73rd minute after VAR review, and Chinese media considered the decision unsatisfactory.

According to Sina, " The decision to disallow Peng Xiao's goal in the semi-final of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship between China U23 and Vietnam U23 has sparked intense controversy. Referee Alexander King, a senior AFC referee, was the one who made this ruling."

Referee King reviews the goal scored by China U23 in the 73rd minute (Photo: AFC).

Mr. King is no stranger to Asian football. Previously, he officiated the quarter-final match of the 2025 AFC U20 Championship, where China U20 was awarded a penalty against Saudi Arabia. In the 2025 season, he also refereed several important matches in China, such as Changchun Yatai vs. Qingdao Hainiu, Beijing Guoan vs. Shanghai Haigang, and Shanghai Haigang vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The two assistant referees for the 2026 AFC U23 Championship semi-final are both from Australia, while the VAR referee is Mr. Taji from Singapore.

The controversial incident occurred in the 73rd minute. From a free kick on the right wing taken by Wang Yudong, Peng Xiao used his shoulder to put the ball into the net. Immediately afterwards, the referee showed Li De a red card for fouling Behram Abduweli while the latter was celebrating. However, Peng Xiao's goal was quickly questioned, and VAR intervened, requesting the main referee to review the situation.

The two main issues raised by VAR were: whether Peng Xiao used his hand to play the ball, and whether Li Zhenquan was offside, obstructing the goalkeeper's view. After reviewing the footage, referee Alexander King made the final decision: the goal was disallowed, determining that Li Zhenquan was offside.

At the time the goal was disallowed, China U23 was leading 2-0. Despite playing with ten men, Vietnam U23 continued to attack in search of a goal, and China U23 scored their third in injury time. China U23 reached the AFC U23 Asian Championship final for the first time and will compete against Japan U23 for the championship. Vietnam U23 and South Korea U23 will compete for third place.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bao-trung-quoc-ban-thang-vao-luoi-u23-viet-nam-bi-tu-choi-gay-tranh-cai-20260121070714220.htm