China goalkeeper Li Hao confident of defeating Vietnam in U23 Asian Cup semifinal

The 22-year-old was named man of the match at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium on Jan. 17 following a stellar performance that included eight saves during regular time. Most notably, he produced an incredible diving stop against Sardorbek Bakhromov’s long-range effort in the 43rd minute to keep the score level for 120 minutes.

In the tense penalty shootout, Li shined again by saving Dilshod Abdullaev’s attempt, helping China win 4-2 and advance to the U23 Asian Cup semifinals for the first time.

“I just want to enjoy the present and then continue preparing for the semifinal,” Li told the press. “I’m really happy. I crave victory every time I step onto the field, and of course I’m thinking about another win in the semifinals.”

China is set to face Vietnam on Tuesday evening, marking the first time the two teams meet in the finals of the U23 Asian Cup. Recent history suggests a close contest. Since 2024, the sides have clashed three times in the friendly Panda Cup, resulting in one win for China (2-1), one draw (1-1) and one loss (0-1). In their most recent encounter on Nov. 12, 2025, Pham Minh Phuc scored the only goal to secure a victory for Vietnam in a match where Li did not play.

Li has been a standout performer in this year’s tournament, leading the charts with 24 saves, double that of Vietnam goalie Tran Trung Kien, who has made 12. Remarkably, China remains the only team yet to concede a goal in the tournament, reaching the final four despite scoring only one goal in open play.

Against Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals, they employed a clear defensive counter-attacking strategy, holding less than 30% possession and dragging the game to the shootout.

Regarding his penalty-saving technique, Li revealed that while he studied opponent shooting angles and wrote notes on his water bottle, no Uzbekistan player targeted those specific spots. Instead, he relied on instinct and mind games to deny Abdullaev’s shot.

“I told him I knew the direction of the shot, then pointed to the right,” Li explained. “He didn’t believe me and still shot in that direction. I made the save with just a slight movement.”

China 0-0 Uzbekistan (pen 4-2)