Vietnam captain Khuat Van Khang (No. 11) dribbles during Vietnam’s 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the final Group A match of the AFC U23 Asian Cup at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 12, 2026. Photo by AFC
After finishing top of Group A, Vietnam will meet either the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or Syria in the quarterfinals of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026.
Vietnam secured first place with a 1-0 victory over hosts Saudi Arabia on Jan. 12. Although a draw would have been enough to claim the top spot, coach Kim Sang-sik’s side went further, with Nguyen Dinh Bac scoring the decisive goal to complete a perfect group-stage campaign. As Group A winners, Vietnam are set to face the second-placed team from Group B in the quarterfinals.
The final Group B matches are scheduled to start at 11:30 p.m. Jan. 13 (Hanoi time).
Japan have already secured first place with two consecutive wins, while Qatar have been eliminated after losing both of their matches. The remaining quarterfinal berth in Group B will be decided by the match between the UAE and Syria. The UAE need only a draw to finish second, while Syria must win to advance.
At U23 level, Vietnam have faced the UAE eight times without recording a victory, registering four draws and four losses. Five of those meetings came in official competitions: the 14th Asian Games in 2002 (0-0), the round of 16 at the 17th Asian Games in 2014 (1-3), the group stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2016 (2-3), the bronze-medal match at the 18th Asian Games in 2018 (1-1, lost 3-4 on penalties), and the group stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2020 (0-0). More recently, Vietnam lost 0-3 and 0-4 to the UAE in friendly matches in 2022 and 2023.
Vietnam’s record against Syria at U23 level has been more favorable. The two sides drew 0-0 in a friendly in Ho Chi Minh City in 2005 and again in the group stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2018. In the quarterfinals of the 18th Asian Games, Vietnam defeated Syria 1-0 in extra time.
However, historical results at youth level are not always indicative. Prior to their victory over Saudi Arabia on Jan. 12, Vietnam had never beaten the hosts at any level, in 11 encounters.
In Group B of the U23 Asian Cup 2026, the UAE opened with a 2-0 win over Qatar before losing 0-3 to Japan. Syria suffered a 0-5 defeat to Japan in their first match but recovered with a 1-0 win over Qatar.
The first quarterfinal will see Japan face Jordan at 6:30 p.m. (Hanoi time) on Friday, Jan. 16. Four hours later, Vietnam will take on either the UAE or Syria in the second quarterfinal.
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