UAE, 10 October 2025 – Vietnam U23 suffered a narrow 0-1 defeat to Qatar U23 in their first friendly match during the UAE training camp, but coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s squad showed encouraging signs of confidence, discipline, and teamwork as they continue preparations for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup.
As part of their ongoing training camp in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games and the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup finals, Vietnam U23 played their first friendly match against Qatar U23 and narrowly lost 0-1. The match served as a valuable opportunity for the coaching staff to experiment with tactics and assess new players, especially in the absence of eight key members currently training with the senior national team for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers.
From the opening minutes, Vietnam U23 entered the game confidently and created several dangerous chances. In the third minute, Quoc Cuong’s quick volley from a corner forced the Qatari goalkeeper into an early save. Just seven minutes later, Anh Quan delivered a precise cross to Le Viktor, whose close-range shot narrowly missed the target.
Throughout most of the first half, Vietnam U23 maintained good control of possession, pressing high and limiting Qatar’s build-up play. The best opportunity for the Qatari side came in the 31st minute, but goalkeeper Van Binh reacted brilliantly to deny a close-range effort, keeping the score level at halftime.
In the second half, acting coach Dinh Hong Vinh made several substitutions, introducing Van Thuan, Long Vu, and Vietnamese-Russian newcomer Nguyen Vadim to test different combinations. Vadim immediately made an impact, threading an intelligent through ball for Van Thuan to break free, but a Qatari defender recovered in time to block the shot.
Vietnam U23 continued to dictate the tempo, showing composure and coordination, but in the 75th minute, they conceded from a corner when a Qatari forward rose high to head home the only goal of the game. Despite late efforts to find an equalizer — including a near miss from Van Thuan in stoppage time — Vietnam were unable to turn their dominance into goals and had to settle for a narrow 0-1 defeat.
While the result was disappointing, the match offered several positives for the young squad, particularly in terms of confidence, team cohesion, and tactical awareness. Coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s players displayed solid defensive organization for most of the match and created multiple scoring chances against a strong opponent.
Vietnam U23 will face Qatar U23 again in their second friendly match on October 13 at 19:00 local time (22:00 Vietnam time). The rematch will provide another crucial opportunity for the coaching staff to refine their tactics, evaluate player performance, and finalize preparations ahead of the major tournaments to come.
John Kenny
Leave a Reply