AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026: Vietnam to face Rok in third-place play-off
U23 Vietnam will face U23 Republic of Korea in the third-place playoff of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, following a 0-3 defeat to U23 China in the semifinals at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Saudi Arabia on January 20.
At the match between U23 Vietnam and U23 China (Photo: AFC)

Hanoi (VNA) – U23 Vietnam will face U23 Republic of Korea in the third-place playoff of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, following a 0-3 defeat to U23 China in the semifinals at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Saudi Arabia on January 20.

U23 Vietnam played solidly, and created a few notable moments from set pieces in the first half.

The first half ended goalless.

China U23 raised the tempo after the restart and took the lead early in the second half. In the 47th minute, Peng Xiao headed home from a corner to open the scoring. Minutes later, Xiang Yuwang capitalised on a marking error to make it 2-0.

Vietnam’s situation worsened in the 75th minute when Ly Duc was shown a straight red card, leaving his team a man down.

Despite late efforts to respond, Vietnam U23 were unable to score. In 90+8 minutes, Wang Yudong finished from close range to seal a 3-0 victory for China U23.

With the result, U23 Vietnam will face U23 RoK in the third-place play-off at 10:00 pm on January 23.

The final of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 will be a showdown between U23 Japan and U23 China U23, set to take place at 10:00 pm on January 24./.

See Also

Vietravel Airlines to add new route serving Lunar New Year travel peak

During the peak period of the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival in 2026, Vietravel Airlines plans to operate six – eight flights daily on the Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi route, three flights daily on the Ho Chi Minh City – Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City – Vinh routes; and two flights daily on the Ho Chi Minh City – Quy Nhon route.

Breathing new life into Cham cultural heritage in Khanh Hoa

With its ancient temple towers, lively festivals, craft villages, and rich cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, Cham culture in the south central province of Khanh Hoa is not only a long-standing historical treasure but is also being actively promoted alongside tourism and community livelihoods, bringing fresh energy to Cham heritage in modern life.

Lunar New Year gifts to come to Truong Sa Special Zone

Despite complicated weather conditions at sea, officers and sailors of Naval Group 129 under the Vietnam People’s Navy affirmed their determination to complete the mission safely and on schedule, ensuring Tet gifts and supplies reach the Truong Sa Special Zone in a timely manner.

VNA publishing house launches books to mark 14th National Party Congress

The three books published by the VNA Publishing House contribute to promoting Vietnam’s image at home and abroad. They also serve as valuable external information products, helping nurture confidence, aspiration and determination to build and safeguard a socialist Vietnam as it advances firmly into a new era of prosperity, strength, civilisation and happiness.