U23 Vietnam won the right to enter the semi-finals of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship after a 3-2 victory over U23 UAE, and at the same time received positive information related to the force. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team will enter the semi-finals with full personnel, no players are suspended due to cards.
According to the charter of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), yellow cards in the group stage are not removed when entering the quarter-finals. This means that players who have received cards before will face the risk of suspension if they continue to be warned in the knockout match.
U23 Vietnam has up to 7 players who received yellow cards after the group stage, including Nguyen Dinh Bac, Nguyen Thai Son, Pham Minh Phuc, Vo Anh Quan, Pham Ly Duc, Nguyen Phi Hoang and Nguyen Cong Phuong, making the risk of force loss in the semi-finals more likely to occur.
However, in the quarter-final match against U23 UAE, U23 Vietnam played tightly and maintained the necessary alertness. Main referee Heidari only issued 1 yellow card for captain Khuat Van Khang. The remaining names avoided unnecessary fouls, thereby helping U23 Vietnam preserve their forces for the next important stage.
The most notable detail came at the decisive moment of the match. In the 101st minute, Minh Phuc scored the goal to seal a 3-2 victory for U23 Vietnam.
In the moment of celebrating, the player under the Hanoi Police force stopped in time to take off his shirt, clearly aware that he had a yellow card from the group stage. This helped him avoid receiving another yellow card and qualify for the semi-finals.
Not losing troops due to penalty cards helps the U23 Vietnam coaching staff feel more secure, especially in the context that the team is about to face the winner in the match between U23 Uzbekistan and U23 China in the semi-finals.
