U23 Vietnam has the right to decide for themselves
After two consecutive wins in Group C of the 2026 U23 Asian qualifiers, U23 Vietnam is in a favorable position to win a ticket to continue. The team has overcome U23 Bangladesh (2-0) and U23 Singapore (1-0), with 6 absolute points and not conceding. This result helped coach Kim Sang-sik and his team lead the group, only needing one more point against U23 Yemen to secure a place in the final round as group winners.
According to the regulations, the top 11 teams and the 4 best second-placed teams will participate in the finals in Saudi Arabia in January 2026. In case of losing to U23 Yemen, U23 Vietnam still has a chance to participate in the tournament as the second team with good results. Currently, many second-placed teams only have 4 points, while U23 Vietnam is holding 6 points in hand.
However, the final match of Group C is still key. U23 Yemen also won all two matches, both with 6 points but ranked below due to poor goal difference. Thus, the confrontation at 7:00 p.m. tonight (September 9) at Viet Tri Stadium will decide the top spot in the group and the direct ticket.
Despite winning all 6 points, U23 Vietnam has not really satisfied fans. The two goals against U23 Bangladesh and the only goal against U23 Singapore both came at the end of the match when the opponent was exhausted. The attack created many opportunities but the finishing efficiency was not high. The bright spot is that the defensive system is still solid, keeping a clean sheet after the first two matches. This will be the foundation for the team to enter the decisive match.
A big challenge for coach Kim Sang-sik and his team
Compared to the two opponents they have met, U23 Yemen is rated higher. They have a good physical foundation, disciplined defense and have a fast playing style. With current form, U23 Yemen is a real challenge for U23 Vietnam.
However, the flexibility in the way coach Kim Sang-sik uses people is helping U23 Vietnam maintain freshness. He constantly changes the starting lineup, rotating personnel so that the players have time to recover. Thanks to that, the Vietnamese team won the ASEAN Cup 2024 and the U23 U23 Southeast Asian Championship 2025. In this qualifying round, the roundabout strategy continues to work as the team always has reserve cards to make a difference. However, the playing style of U23 Vietnam is still limited, especially in finishing. Coach Kim Sang-sik also acknowledged after the minimal victory over Singapore U23: "People also saw that we had many dangerous situations, but the goalkeeper of Singapore U23 played excellently. We will continue to improve our finishing ability to make better use of opportunities in the upcoming matches."
Evaluating the decisive match against U23 Yemen, Mr. Kim emphasized: "We will analyze carefully and have careful preparation. With the quality of the current squad, I am confident that U23 Vietnam can win. U23 Yemen has a solid defense and good physique, but we have players with good speed to exploit the space behind us."
U23 Vietnam entered the final match with many advantages from home, enthusiastic cheers from the audience and the right to decide. If they play to their full potential and take advantage of the opportunity, coach Kim Sang-sik and his team can completely win. In case of a draw, the team will still have a chance to continue, ensuring the completion of the biggest goal is a ticket to the final round.
The match against U23 Yemen will be an important measure of the bravery and ability of U23 Vietnam. U23 Vietnam will face U23 Yemen at 7:00 p.m. on September 9 at Viet Tri Stadium (Phu Tho).
