Vietnam U23 played well, exactly as AFC predicted - Photo: AFC
The regional media showered coach Kim Sang Sik and his team with praise following the historic achievement of the Vietnam U23 team in the group stage of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Championship.
And if there is another group that deserves praise alongside the achievements of the team led by Kim Sang Sik, it is the team of AFC commentators.
Indeed, for more than two weeks leading up to the tournament, articles on the AFC's homepage and fan page went against public opinion, leaving the football community puzzled by offering numerous positive comments about the Vietnam U23 team.
"Vietnam U23 can dream of winning the championship," this comment appeared right in the first article about coach Kim Sang Sik and his team, as the AFC successively published articles introducing each team.
It's worth noting that the Asian football governing body didn't give similar praise to Thailand, China, or even other relatively strong teams like the UAE and Iraq... The AFC ranked Vietnam in the same group as Japan, South Korea, Iran...
The second time the AFC mentioned Vietnam was in its pre-tournament overview, when it commented that Vietnam was a potential contender to prevent Japan from defending their title.
Perhaps many Vietnamese fans, upon reading this, will simply laugh it off, thinking that the AFC is only offering polite praise. But the truth is, in this article, Vietnam is one of the few names mentioned by the AFC commentator, alongside South Korea, Iran, etc., as a genuine rival to Japan.
Some posts on Chinese social media sites like QQ and Weibo have expressed skepticism about these statements from the AFC.
But after three group stage matches, there was no longer any doubt. Vietnam topped Group A with a perfect record of three wins, including a victory against the host nation Saudi Arabia - also a strong contender for the championship.
The second accurate assessment from the AFC is "the perfect defense of the Vietnam U23 team". In their pre-tournament overview, the AFC repeatedly mentioned this detail, asserting that coach Kim Sang Sik possesses a defense that did not concede a single goal in the qualifying rounds and knows how to cause difficulties for any major team.
It may not be perfect, but the Vietnam U23 team conceded only one goal in three group stage matches. That goal was due to a moment of carelessness against Kyrgyzstan - a team considered weaker.
"The Vietnamese U23 team's defensive capabilities are truly remarkable. They didn't give Saudi Arabia a single clear-cut chance," commented Ball Thai , a Thai newspaper.
Finally, a comment on Khuat Van Khang - who was praised twice by the AFC and described as "the heart of the Vietnam U23 team".
Khuat Van Khang played almost the entire duration of all three group stage matches - Photo: AFC
Khuat Van Khang is one of the rare Vietnamese players who wasn't rotated by coach Kim Sang Sik, and was given a starting opportunity in all three group stage matches. He even played the full 90 minutes in two matches against Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Dinh Bac is the most impressive star, but Khuat Van Khang - with the captain's armband on his arm - is fully demonstrating the qualities that the AFC describes as "the heart of the Vietnam U23 team".
"AFC's predictions are godlike, only inferior to Zhuge Liang's fan," many Vietnamese fans joked on social media.
In fact, at times when Vietnamese fans didn't dare believe in the series of achievements awaiting their team, the AFC had predicted almost everything about the journey of coach Kim Sang Sik's team in Saudi Arabia.
Of course, that's only half the journey. According to the AFC, Vietnam U23 is a top contender against Japan, and now the two teams are in different brackets on the way to the final.
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HUY DANG
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khen-u23-viet-nam-co-dong-vien-khen-luon-tai-du-bao-nhu-than-cua-cac-cay-but-binh-luan-afc-20260113150225833.htm
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