Jordan thank Vietnam after reaching U23 Asian Cup quarterfinals

In the final Group A matches on Monday night, Jordan secured a 1-0 win against Kyrgyzstan with a goal from Ali Al Azaizeh, while Vietnam finished at the top of the table with nine points after defeating hosts Saudi Arabia.

The final standings saw Jordan finish second with six points, while Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan were eliminated with three and zero points, respectively. This prompted a celebration among the Jordan players, which began at the stadium and continued to the Movenpick Jeddah City Star Hotel, where Vietnam U23 team were also staying.

Upon the arrival of coach Kim Sang-sik’s team, Jordan team members greeted them with high-fives and handshakes to express their appreciation for the result. After taking photos together, the teams returned to their rooms and prepared for dinner.

“Vietnam’s victory over Saudi Arabia helped us a lot,” Jordan coach Omar Najhi said at a press conference. “To be honest, we really didn’t pay attention to the other match, because Jordan had to win first.”

Television cameras had captured Jordan fans celebrating in the stands as news of Vietnam’s 64th-minute goal reached the stadium during the Jordan-Kyrgyzstan game. Many tried to shout to inform the team of the news.

“Honestly, I didn’t hear anything because I was focused on the game. I didn’t think the players paid attention either,” coach Najhi noted. “I only found out that Vietnam were leading Saudi Arabia two minutes before the end of the match.”

Jordan’s path to the knockout stage was a recovery from an opening 0-2 loss to Vietnam, followed by a crucial win over Saudi Arabia that revived their tournament hopes.

The team are now scheduled to face Group B leaders Japan in the quarterfinals, while Vietnam await the winner of the Syria and UAE match taking place on Tuesday night.

This marks Vietnam’s third consecutive appearance in the quarterfinals, while Jordan returned to the knockout stage for the first time since 2020. Both teams will be looking to break long semi-final droughts, with Vietnam last reaching the final in 2018 and Jordan having secured a third-place finish in 2013.