On the night of January 13, coach Kim Sang-sik and his assistants were present in the stands to watch the match between U23 UAE and U23 Syria in the last match of Group B of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship. This is a decisive match, because one of these two teams will be the opponent of U23 Vietnam in the quarter-finals.
With the winning of the first place in Group A after 3 consecutive wins, U23 Vietnam will face the runner-up of Group B. In that context, the coaching staff directly watching U23 UAE and U23 Syria play is considered a necessary preparation step before the knockout round.
The match took place with tension as both teams still had a chance to advance. U23 UAE had the advantage when they only needed a draw, while U23 Syria had to win to decide their own fate. This situation helped the U23 Vietnam coaching staff have the opportunity to clearly observe how the two teams organized their play in high pressure conditions.
In the stands, the Korean strategist and assistants closely monitored the dien bien of the match, from the way the squad was deployed, the ability to compete to situations of switching positions. These are all important factors in building preparation plans for the quarter-finals.
After this match, the name of the second-placed team in Group B will be determined, which means that U23 Vietnam knows their opponent in the quarter-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship.
According to the schedule, the quarter-final match of U23 Vietnam will take place at 11:30 PM on January 16. The coaching staff will have more time to complete the preparation stage, before entering the knockout match.
