In the 87th minute of the match for 3rd place at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship against U23 Korea (January 23), striker Nguyen Dinh Bac received a direct red card after a dangerous tackle on the opponent.
The tough decision of the main referee caused U23 Vietnam to play with one less player in the remaining time of the second half and two extra halves.
Before being sent off, Dinh Bac was the player who had the greatest influence in the attack. In the 30th minute, he assisted Nguyen Quoc Viet to score the opening goal. In the 71st minute, Dinh Bac took a direct free kick into a goal, helping U23 Vietnam increase the score to 2-1.
However, U23 Korea managed to equalize 2-2 before the 2nd half ended, forcing the two teams to enter extra time. Although only 10 players remained on the field, U23 Vietnam still persistently preserved the score, dragged the opponent into a penalty shootout and won the overall victory 7-6.
According to regulations of the Asian Football Confederation, players receiving red cards at the AFC U23 Championship are suspended for the next 2 matches in tournaments of the same level. Dinh Bac was born in 2004 and is no longer old enough to participate in the next AFC U23 Championship finals, so the penalty will be transferred to the national team.
Therefore, the striker from Nghe An will not be eligible to play in the match against Malaysia in the final qualifiers of the 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled to take place on March 31 at Thien Truong Stadium. At the same time, if called up, he will also be absent from a friendly match or the opening match of the Vietnamese team at the 2026 ASEAN Cup.
Previously, U23 Vietnam defender Pham Ly Duc was also banned from playing for 3 matches by AFC due to a red card and additional disciplinary action in the semi-final match against U23 China. This penalty prevented Ly Duc from participating in the 3rd place match of the AFC U23 Championship and affected the personnel plan of the Vietnamese team in upcoming tournaments.
