Media praise Vietnam’s historic breakthrough for Southeast Asian football at U23 Asian Cup

Under the headline “Vietnam crush Saudi Arabia to make history for ASEAN football,” CNN Indonesia reported that this marks the first time a Southeast Asian team have topped their group in the tournament.

Previously, the best performances from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia were limited to second-place finishes.

Historically, ASEAN teams had reached the quarterfinals six times, Vietnam and Malaysia in 2018, Thailand in 2020, Vietnam in 2022 and both Vietnam and Indonesia in 2024, but they had all advanced as runners-up.

Coach Kim Sang-sik helped Vietnam make history this time by winning all three matches in Group A, defeating Jordan 2-0, Kyrgyzstan 2-1, and Saudi Arabia 1-0 to earn a maximum nine points.

Indonesian sports outlet She was described Vietnam’s victory on Monday night as a “surprise,” noting that Vietnam entered the final match with more confidence than their opponents.

“Saudi Arabia, having lost to Jordan in the second match, lacked confidence,” the outlet stated, “Despite being the underdog, Vietnam played disciplined football and snatched three points from the hosts.”

Tribune News hailed Vietnam as the regional leader, writing that the team are “aiming for a historic achievement” like reaching the final in 2018, and that their performance “deserves special praise.”

The newspaper also compared Vietnam’s success with Indonesia’s early exit in the qualifying rounds, where they were held to a draw by Laos.

“Vietnam’s achievement is not accidental, given their clean sweep of the group,” it wrote. “Meanwhile, Indonesia suffered a tragic ending.”

Thai outlet Think Curve acknowledged Vietnam’s “outstanding performance,” highlighting that this is the fourth time Vietnam have moved past the group stage, a record better than all other Southeast Asian teams combined.

In the Philippines, the fanpage of Manila Montet FC celebrated the result with a post titled “Vietnam win, Southeast Asia win.” The author argued that Vietnam’s skill and discipline send a powerful message to neighbors like the Philippines that “any of us can reach that level.”

The analysis concluded that Vietnam’s success was built on structure and unity, suggesting that “if Vietnam can do it, then there’s no reason why the Philippines can’t dream bigger.”