Shocking results at the U23 Asian Championship.

Just before the start of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship finals, Iraqi football received shocking news when head coach Emad Mohammed of the country's U23 team announced his resignation.

Coach Emad Mohammed resigned before the tournament began.

According to a number of regional newspapers, this decision was confirmed by coach Emad Mohammed himself on his personal page just hours before the tournament's opening day (January 6).

In a rather lengthy message, the Iraqi coach stated that he accepted the coaching position of the Iraq U23 team out of a sense of responsibility and professional integrity, but recent interference in his professional work led him to choose to leave.

According to Alsu Maria , the conflict between coach Mohammed and those involved had been simmering for a long time, particularly during the preparation for the tournament. The coach was unhappy that several key players were unable to join the Iraqi U23 team on time, seriously impacting his plans. He considered this a clear manifestation of inconsistency and deep interference in coaching.

Mohammed was dissatisfied due to professional issues.

Notably, just days earlier, in a press conference on December 27, 2025, Coach Mohammed had affirmed that he would not relinquish his position as head coach of the national team, despite the wave of criticism from the public after the defeat against U23 Saudi Arabia in the U23 Gulf Cup final.

However, recent developments have caused the coach to change his mind and make a surprising statement just before the continent's biggest tournament at the U23 level.

Conversely, the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) has issued a statement to reassure the public. According to Nina News , the IFA affirmed that the Iraqi U23 team's participation in the 2026 AFC U23 Championship is primarily for testing and preparation, rather than focusing heavily on achieving results.

Vietnam U23 scores two goals against Jordan. On the evening of January 6th, Vietnam U23 brilliantly defeated Jordan U23 with a score of 2-0 in the opening match of Group A of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.

Source: https://znews.vn/cu-soc-o-giai-u23-chau-a-post1617412.html