The tournament of a lifetime for Nhat Minh.

Nhat Minh made his mark at this year's tournament. Photo: FBN V

In the third-place match of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship against South Korea on the morning of January 24th, Nhat Minh delivered an outstanding performance, becoming a solid pillar in the Vietnamese U23 defense against the suffocating pressure from their top-ranked opponent.

According to statistics from Soccerway , the 2003-born center-back made 16 clearances in the penalty area, including blocking shots, making headers, and directly preventing dangerous shots. This number shows the high frequency of activity and the clear influence of Nhat Minh throughout the 120 minutes of intense play.

With center-backs Hieu Minh and Ly Duc unavailable for various reasons, coach Kim Sang-sik was forced to make personnel changes in the defense. Nhat Minh was moved from his left-sided position to play in the center of the defense, a role that demands alertness, situational awareness, and great composure under constant pressure.

Despite not having many opportunities to showcase his strong passing ability, Nhat Minh still played with effort and nearly helped the Vietnam U23 team defeat South Korea within the 90 minutes of play.

Nhat Minh brings stability to the Vietnam U23 defense. Photo: AFC

Facing U23 South Korea, who controlled the ball for 76% of the time and unleashed over 30 shots, the U23 Vietnam defense had to work under constant alert. In that context, Nhat Minh stood out with his tenacious and decisive play, while still maintaining the necessary composure.

Not only did Nhat Minh impress defensively, but he also showed his composure in the penalty shootout. In the decisive fifth penalty kick, the central defender calmly converted the penalty, making a significant contribution to helping Vietnam U23 defeat South Korea U23 7-6.

Notably, Nhat Minh is one of the very few U23 Vietnam players who did not miss a single minute of play at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. His perseverance, consistency, and unwavering fighting spirit are clear evidence of the remarkable maturity of this generation of young players.

Based on his performances, Nhat Minh is not only a major discovery for the Vietnam U23 team at this year's tournament, but is also considered a strong candidate for a spot on the national team in the future.

Highlights U23 Vietnam 2-2 (7-6) U23 South Korea. In the early morning of January 24th, U23 Vietnam and U23 South Korea competed in the third-place match of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.