Vietnam entered their final Group C match looking to secure their place in the knockout stage. However, the 0-2 defeat to Uzbekistan meant that head coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s side had to wait for the result of the Philippines- Kuwait match to determine their quarter-final fate.

In the other game played at the same time, Philippines secured a 2-1 victory over Kuwait. The result allowed Vietnam to retain second place in Group C and officially book their place in the ASIAD 2026 quarter-finals.

Uzbekistan made an aggressive start and quickly created dangerous chances. After Saidov Amirbek missed an opportunity in the third minute, Urinboev Muhammadali opened the scoring two minutes later with a determined run and finish.

Vietnam responded by pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Minh Phuc had a chance, only to be denied by goalkeeper Samandar Muratbaev. Le Phat and Quoc Cuong also created promising opportunities but were unable to capitalise.

In the 14th minute, Thanh Nhan found the net for Vietnam, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. Vietnam continued to press for an equaliser but could not find a way through before the break. Uzbekistan went into half-time with a 1-0 lead.

Vietnam stepped up their attacking efforts in the second half, with Quoc Viet and Phi Hoang coming on. However, coach Dinh Hong Vinh’s players struggled to break through Uzbekistan’s defensive system.

With Vietnam still unable to find an equaliser, Uzbekistan continued to make good use of gaps in their opponents’ defence. In the 68th minute, Ibraimov Nurlan exchanged a one-touch pass before accelerating forward and beating goalkeeper Cao Van Binh to make it 2-0 for Uzbekistan.

Two goals down, Vietnam continued to push for a goal but could not find a way through the Uzbek defence.

Despite the loss, Vietnam finished second in Group C and secured a place in the ASIAD 2026 quarter-finals.

Vietnam U23 target ASIAD 20 quarter-finals

VOV.VN - Vietnam U23 are targeting a place in the quarter-finals of the 20th Asian Games (ASIAD 20), despite limited preparation time and personnel challenges, Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) Vice President Tran Anh Tu said at a press conference in Hanoi on September 10.