U23 Vietnam closed the group stage journey of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship with a 1-0 victory over U23 Saudi Arabia. This result helped coach Kim Sang-sik's team win all 9 points and the top spot in Group A to win a ticket to the quarterfinals.
U23 Vietnam's performance made a strong impression on Asian experts. Among them, goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien and striker Dinh Bac are the two most mentioned names.
After the match, the homepage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) paid special attention to goalkeeper Trung Kien, considering him a decisive factor in helping U23 Vietnam stand firm against great pressure from the home team.
AFC assessed that the number 1 goalkeeper had an excellent day when continuously saving golden opportunities, keeping a clean sheet in the context that Vietnam had to face a difficult defensive game.
Names like Musab Aljuwayr, Abdulaziz Alelewai or Salem Alnajdi often threatened the U23 Vietnam goal with long shots and finishes in the penalty area. However, Trung Kien showed composure, quick reflexes and accurate judgment.
In the opposite direction, the "Golden Star Warriors" did not need many opportunities to make a difference. In the 64th minute, from a loss of ball in their own half by Awad Dahal, Nguyen Ngoc My quickly passed to Dinh Bac to penetrate the penalty area. The striker born in 2004 launched a sharp diagonal shot, defeating goalkeeper Hamed Yousef to bring the only goal of the match.
AFC's homepage described this as a surprise moment but a turning point.
In addition, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) also had an interesting reaction. On the official fanpage, FIFA posted a photo celebrating U23 Vietnam with the caption: "Fly like TK1 (Trung Kien), shoot like DB7 (Dinh Bac)".
This comparison is considered a special recognition for Trung Kien's excellent performance and Dinh Bac's decisive moment of brilliance.
