In the 73rd minute of the semi-final match between U23 Vietnam and U23 China held on the evening of January 20, after the opponent scored the 3rd goal, striker Behram Abuduwaili held the ball and ran to celebrate and collided with center-back Nguyen Nhat Minh. The Chinese player continued to rush towards Ly Duc and had a small scuffle situation.
At that time, Ly Duc gestured his hand towards the opponent with the intention of regaining the ball. However, this action was considered a rough reaction by referee Alexander George King.
The Chinese player fell to the ground and hugged his face, the Australian referee immediately intervened and issued a direct red card to Ly Duc. The U23 Vietnam defender did not react and accepted to leave the field.
A few minutes later, the VAR team intervened to check the situation leading to the goal. The results showed that Abuduwaili was below the U23 Vietnam defense and obstructed goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien. The 3rd goal of U23 China was not recognized, the score was adjusted back to 2-0. However, the red card for Ly Duc was still maintained.
According to IFAB regulations, unsportsmanlike behaviors that occur after the VAR situation is considered will not be canceled, unless the error is directly related to the tested ball. In this case, the red card for Ly Duc is not subject to reconsideration, despite the rejected goal.
According to the regulations of the AFC U23 Championship, the player who was disqualified for violence must be sidelined for the next 3 matches in the tournament of the same age. Because of this penalty, Ly Duc is not eligible to play in the third-place match against U23 Korea taking place on January 23.
After the tournament ends, Ly Duc is no longer in the U23 (overage) category, so the suspension will be suspended and transferred to the national team level.
Therefore, if called up to the Vietnamese national team, the center-back born in 2003 will continue to be absent from the confrontation with Malaysia in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, scheduled to take place on March 31, 2026, and another official match at the national team level, possibly during FIFA Days.
