Saudi Arabia, 20 January 2026 – A knee injury forced centre-back Nguyen Hieu Minh to leave the pitch in the first half of the semi-final against China at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
In the 30th minute, Xiang Yuwang made a desperate effort to keep the ball in play near the Vietnamese byline. Nguyen Hieu Minh rushed in to challenge and collided heavily with his opponent. Immediately after the impact, he fell to the ground clutching his right knee and crying out in pain, his face showing clear distress.
The team’s medical staff quickly entered the field to provide treatment. Pham Ly Duc and other teammates gathered around to comfort Hieu Minh. The centre-back, born in 2004, appeared close to tears and pulled his shirt over his face as he was stretchered off the pitch. He was then taken by ambulance to hospital for further examination and a more accurate assessment of the injury.
On the touchline, head coach Kim Sang-sik briefly consulted with his coaching staff before deciding to bring on Nguyen Duc Anh as a replacement. Despite the pressure that followed, Vietnam’s defence held firm to finish the first half with the score level at 0-0.
Nguyen Hieu Minh is from Thach That, Hanoi, and came through the PVF youth academy. In 2022, he was promoted to the PVF-CAND first team, later earning a place in the league’s Team of the Season and being named Best Young Player of the 2024–2025 First Division season.
This season, Hieu Minh helped PVF-CAND earn promotion to V.League 1, gaining valuable experience against top Vietnamese forwards. He has since become a key pillar of the U23 Vietnam squad, starting regularly during the team’s title-winning campaign at the 2025 U23 Southeast Asian Championship and their gold-medal triumph at SEA Games 33.
Before his early exit in the U23 Asian Cup 2026 semi-final, Hieu Minh had started all four previous matches. He was named Man of the Match in the opening 2-0 win over Jordan, where he scored the goal that sealed the victory. He also ranked second in total clearances at the tournament with 36, behind only China’s Xiao Peng (46).
Minh Son
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