Vietnam enter U23 Asian Cup semifinals after defeating UAE in extra time

Name: Vietnam enter U23 Asian Cup semifinals after defeating UAE in extra time
Uploaded: 2026-01-16T22:25:19+07:00
Duration: 32 s
Description: Vietnam edged the UAE 3-2 in extra time to advance to the U23 Asian Cup semifinals in a hard-fought match.

By Hoang Nguyen JAN. 16, 2026

Vietnam edged the UAE 3-2 in extra time to advance to the U23 Asian Cup semifinals in a hard-fought match.

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Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta (GMT+7)

January 17
120'

Victory for Vietnam!
No more additional time. Vietnam earned a hard-fought 3-2 win against the UAE to march into the semifinals!

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117'

UAE had a rare scoring when the ball was crossed into the penalty area. Eisa Khalfan took a one-touch shot, but the ball went over the crossbar.

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116'

Vietnam made the final substitution, putting a defender on to protect the lead.

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112'

Almenhali fouled Ly Duc, but fell to the ground acting like he was fouled inside the box and demanded a penalty. However, the referee said no.

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109'

Dinh Bac's free kick bounced off the ground, making it impossible for goalkeeper Tawhid to catch it cleanly. However, no Vietnam player was quick enough to pounce on the rebound.

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106'

Second half of extra time
Right after the whistle, Matar Alshamsi was booked after a tackle on a Vietnam player.

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105'+1

End of extra time's first half
Vietnam temporarily took the lead against the UAE and will have 15 minutes left to protect the score.

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105'

Only one minute is added to the first half of extra time.

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Pham Minh Phuc (number 21) celebrates his goal with teammates. Photo by Ted Tran

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101'

Goal! Vietnam score again!
A series of well-coordinated and composed plays put Minh Phuc in a position to finish. His shot slightly deflected off an UAE defender, leaving keeper Tawhid no chance.

Vietnam enter U23 Asian Cup semifinals after defeating UAE in extra time

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Vietnam advanced to the quarterfinals as group A winners after defeating Jordan 2-0, Kyrgyzstan 2-1, and host nation Saudi Arabia 1-0. This marks the first time in history that a Vietnam team have progressed as group winners in an Asian tournament.

Meanwhile, the UAE finished second in Group B, with a tougher journey, winning against Qatar 2-0, losing to Japan 0-3 and drawing 1-1 with Syria in the final match, a result just enough to secure their place in the next round.

Beyond the result, Vietnam's performance was highly praised, with clear tactical approaches, team spirit and organization. Meanwhile, like other West Asian teams, the UAE, had a slight advantage over Vietnam in terms of physical strength.