U23 Syria's 1-0 victory over U23 Qatar in the match held on the morning of January 11th soon determined the first team to win a ticket to the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. That is U23 Japan.
After two legs, U23 Japan won all matches with 6 absolute points, defeating U23 UAE 3-0 and U23 Syria 5-0 respectively to lead Group B. Behind "Green Samurai" are U23 UAE and U23 Syria with the same 3 points, while U23 Qatar soon said goodbye to the tournament.
The situation in Group B shows that there is no scenario that can shake the No. 1 position of U23 Japan. In the final match, U23 UAE and U23 Syria will face each other directly, meaning only 1 of the 2 teams can increase the total score to 6.
If U23 Japan loses to U23 Qatar in the final match, they will still definitely hold the top spot thanks to their superior head-to-head record against both UAE and Syria.
U23 Japan's early winning of a ticket to the quarter-finals with the top spot in the group is not only of professional significance, but also has a direct impact on the knockout situation, especially for U23 Vietnam. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team has now clearly identified a potential opponent if they rank second in Group A.
Considering Group A, the possibility of U23 Vietnam going further is still very wide open. "Golden Star Warriors" are only eliminated in case of a heavy defeat to U23 Saudi Arabia with a difference of 3 goals or more. However, the fact that the opponent in the quarterfinals is likely U23 Japan makes the ranking problem more important.
U23 Japan is showing superior strength and is considered the top candidate for the championship. Avoiding facing this team right from the quarter-finals is the goal that U23 Vietnam aims for.
To do that, coach Kim Sang-sik's team needs to win at least 1 point against U23 Saudi Arabia. In case of defeat, U23 Vietnam still has a chance to top the group if they only lose a maximum of 1 goal and U23 Jordan defeats U23 Kyrgyzstan.
