Hanoi, 7 January 2026 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has pointed out the key factor behind U23 Vietnam’s 2–0 victory over U23 Jordan in the opening match of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
U23 Vietnam made a positive start to the tournament by defeating U23 Jordan 2–0, with goals coming from Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Hieu Minh. The result temporarily places coach Kim Sang Sik and his players at the top of Group A with three points, ahead of Saudi Arabia U23 on goal difference.
In its article reviewing the match between U23 Vietnam and U23 Jordan, AFC provided a detailed account of the game and highlighted the decisive weapon that helped Kim Sang Sik’s side secure all three points. AFC emphasized: “Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team exploited set-piece situations very effectively, giving them a significant advantage in the race for a quarter-final place in Group A.”
Commenting on the match developments, AFC noted: “U23 Vietnam started proactively and created a clear advantage from the early minutes. Khuat Van Khang and Pham Minh Phuc continuously attempted dangerous long-range shots, forcing Jordan goalkeeper Abdelrahman Suleiman to make a number of saves.”
The early dominance was converted into a breakthrough in the 15th minute. After VAR intervention confirmed that Mohammad Taha had handled the ball inside the penalty area while defending a corner kick, the referee awarded U23 Vietnam a penalty. From the spot, Nguyen Dinh Bac finished accurately to open the scoring for the Southeast Asian side.
In addition to praising the team’s collective spirit, AFC also highly rated the defensive line and goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien, who made several outstanding saves to help U23 Vietnam preserve the 2–0 win over U23 Jordan.
Speaking to the media after the match, Kim Sang Sik said: “I would like to thank all the players for fighting with everything they had. We are very happy to win this match. Although we faced many difficulties in the second half, the whole team stayed united and played as one, which allowed us to secure all three points.”
The Korean coach also explained the effectiveness of set pieces, a factor that directly contributed to Vietnam’s goals. “As in previous tournaments and in today’s match, we continued to score from set-piece situations. This is an aspect that the coaching staff have focused on intensively in training. When the players maintain concentration both in training and in matches, the effectiveness will be reflected,” Kim Sang Sik concluded.
Phan Hung
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