Viet Tri, 6 Sep 2026 – Vietnam U20 ended their 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifying campaign without a point after surrendering a first-half lead in a 3-1 defeat to Iran U20 in their final Group C match on September 6.
Despite needing a victory to keep their slim qualification hopes alive, Vietnam adopted a cautious approach from the opening whistle. The hosts sat deep and allowed Iran to control possession, a strategy that initially proved effective against an opponent that held clear physical and technical advantages.
Iran applied sustained pressure but struggled to find space against Vietnam’s compact and disciplined defensive structure. Their best opportunity of the opening half came in the 27th minute, when an Iranian player reacted quickly to fire from inside the penalty area, only for goalkeeper Hoa Xuan Tin to produce an excellent save.
As half-time approached, Vietnam suddenly became more adventurous and caught Iran off guard.
The breakthrough arrived in the 40th minute following a corner. Iran failed to clear the danger, allowing Quoc Khanh to react quickest and drill a low diagonal shot through the legs of goalkeeper Maghsoudi to put Vietnam 1-0 ahead.
However, Iran increased the intensity immediately after the restart and needed only five minutes to equalise. Amirmohammad Karimi launched a powerful throw-in into the penalty area, where Arian Maali reacted sharply to finish past Xuan Tin and make it 1-1.
The equaliser left Vietnam in an increasingly difficult position, with the hosts needing to push forward for more goals to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Iran continued to apply pressure and were handed an opportunity to complete the turnaround when the referee ruled that Xuan Tin had fouled Mahdi Cheshmberah inside the penalty area. Mahan Beheshti converted the resulting penalty in the 63rd minute to give Iran a 2-1 lead.
Having seen their advantage disappear in a short period, Vietnam pushed higher up the pitch in search of an equaliser. However, their attacking moves lacked the creativity and cutting edge required to seriously trouble Iran’s defence.
Iran eventually sealed the victory deep into stoppage time. Abolfazl Zadeh Attar converted another penalty in the 94th minute to complete a 3-1 comeback win.
The defeat brought a disappointing qualifying campaign to an end for Vietnam U20. Yutaka Ikeuchi’s side finished bottom of Group C after losing all three matches, scoring only two goals while conceding eight.
North Korea U20 topped the group with a perfect nine points, followed by Iran with six points and Palestine with three, while Vietnam finished fourth without a point.
VSN/RPT
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