Ly Duc speaks out after receiving a red card in the match against China U23.

Vietnam U23 lost 0-3 to China U23

"An apology is never enough. I sincerely bow my head in apology to the Vietnamese fans. Thank you all for supporting the team," defender Ly Duc shared on his personal page after the Vietnam U23 team lost 0-3 to China U23 in the semi-final of the AFC U23 Asian Championship on the evening of January 20th in Saudi Arabia.

Ly Duc speaks out after receiving a red card in the match against China U23 - 1

Ly Duc received a red card from referee Alexander George King (Screenshot).

In this match, the "Golden Star Warriors" were reduced to 10 players after Ly Duc was disqualified.

The incident occurred in the 73rd minute (when Vietnam U23 was trailing 0-2). A Chinese U23 player crossed the ball from the right wing into the Vietnamese penalty area. The ball hit Peng Xiao's shoulder and went into the Vietnamese net. However, referee Alexander George King subsequently disallowed the goal, ruling that a Chinese player was offside.

However, at that moment, the Australian referee unexpectedly showed Ly Duc a red card. Slow-motion replays showed that the 2003-born central defender had made inappropriate contact with his opponent during the challenge.

Playing with ten men made things even more difficult for the Vietnam U23 team. Towards the end of the match, the China U23 team took advantage of this to score the goal that sealed a 3-0 victory.

Ly Duc speaks out after receiving a red card in the match against China U23 - 2

Li De apologizes to fans after receiving a red card (Photo: AFC).

On social media, many fans expressed sympathy for Ly Duc. They believe that the Hanoi Police FC center-back will learn many lessons from his mistake in the match against China U23.

At the U23 Asian Championship, Ly Duc was a reliable defender for the Vietnam U23 team, but a single moment of lack of self-control cost him and the team dearly.

Following their defeat against China U23, Vietnam U23 will play South Korea U23 in the third-place match at 10 PM on January 23rd. Ly Duc will be unable to participate in that match due to a suspension.

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://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ly-duc-len-tieng-after-receiving-the-red-card-in-the-match-against-china-u23-20260121022657673.htm