On the evening of January 6, U23 Vietnam won 2-0 against U23 Jordan in the opening match at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals. One of the highlights of the match was the excellent performance of central defender Nguyen Hieu Minh, when he was voted "Player of the Match" by the organizers.
Hieu Minh was the one who scored the goal to seal the score 2-0 for U23 Vietnam. At the end of the first half, from a corner kick by a teammate, the center-back born in 2004 rushed up to finish neatly, helping coach Kim Sang-sik's team create a great advantage before the break.
The goal not only increased the gap but also showed Hieu Minh's ability to effectively support attacks in key moments.
In the defensive front, Hieu Minh also had a complete match. He made 7 clearances, 2 recoveries and 1 good interception. Along with Ly Duc and Nhat Minh, Hieu Minh created a solid defense, contributing to blocking the attacking spearheads of U23 Jordan.
It was not until the second half of the second half that the opponent created some notable opportunities. However, the concentration of the defense and the stable performance of goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien helped U23 Vietnam keep a clean sheet.
After the match, Hieu Minh said that the whole team had prepared carefully and maintained concentration throughout the 90 minutes.
Before this match, U23 Vietnam values the opponents in Group A equally. They are all very strong, therefore, we must try very hard to find victory. Coach Kim Sang-sik set a goal for U23 Vietnam players to win every match to get through the group stage," Hieu Minh said.
The PVF-CAND defender also said: "I believe that the U23 Vietnam defense played very solidly. In the final play, U23 Jordan had a one-on-one situation but goalkeeper Trung Kien kept a clean sheet. Today, we played focused and need to stay focused like that for the next matches".
In the next match, U23 Vietnam will face U23 Kyrgyzstan. Although it started smoothly, Hieu Minh emphasized that the whole team needs to maintain competitive spirit and high concentration.
We are very happy with the victory, but we must focus on the next match. The whole team must try to maintain the spirit like in this match," the center-back born in 2004 emphasized.
