Viet Tri, 6 September, 2025 – On the evening of September 6, Vietnam U23 secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Singapore U23 in the second round of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Despite the narrow margin, head coach Kim Sang-sik expressed satisfaction with the result, emphasizing the importance of the three points and promising improvements ahead of the decisive clash with Yemen.
The match at Viet Tri Stadium was dominated by Vietnam, who created a host of scoring opportunities but struggled with finishing. The breakthrough finally arrived thanks to Le Van Thuan’s decisive header, the only goal of the match. However, coach Kim admitted his side should have been more clinical.
“Tonight’s game did not have too many goals, nor too much to analyze,” Kim told reporters after the final whistle. “I am very happy to see so many supporters at Viet Tri Stadium. We created plenty of chances, but Singapore’s goalkeeper had an excellent performance. We will continue to work on improving our finishing.”
The statistics reflected Vietnam’s frustrations. The young Golden Stars struck the post or crossbar no fewer than five times, underlining both their dominance and their lack of luck. Midfielder Van Truong echoed his coach’s view, saying: “In football, being unlucky is part of the game. We had many opportunities that we couldn’t convert, but I hope the fans will continue to support us in the last match so we can secure victory.”
With the win, Vietnam remain top of Group C with six points from two matches. They are level with Yemen U23, who also collected six points, but Kim’s men hold the advantage on goal difference (+3 compared to +2). This means Vietnam only need a draw in their final group match against Yemen to book their ticket to the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia.
Looking ahead to the decisive clash, Kim remained confident yet cautious: “We will analyze Yemen carefully and prepare for the match. Their defense is very strong, but with the quality we have, I believe we can win. Vietnam U23 have quick players who can exploit the space behind their backline.”
Vietnam’s current run continues the momentum built from their ASEAN U23 Championship triumph earlier this summer. A place in the continental finals would be another step forward for this generation, and Kim is determined to ensure his players maintain focus until the job is done.
The much-anticipated showdown with Yemen U23 will take place on September 9 at Viet Tri Stadium, with both teams knowing the outcome could define their journey on the road to Saudi Arabia.
Hong Phuc
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