Two Vietnam players undergo doping tests after U23 Asian Cup victory over Kyrgyzstan

Immediately after the whistle at King Abdullah Stadium on Friday night, Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Xuan Bac were selected by tournament organizers for the doping test. While this is a standard part of international competition, this marked the first time any member of the Vietnam squad had been called for testing during the tournament in Saudi Arabia.

Doping tests are usually conducted in two ways. In the first method, the tournament organizers will notify the team about the tests and then randomly select a few players after the match to collect samples. The second method involves randomly visiting the players' venues without prior notice.

Forward Nguyen Dinh Bac (number 7) during the 2-1 victory against Kyrgyzstan in the U23 Asian Cup match, at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Jan. 9, 2026. Photo by AFC

Due to the high intensity of the match and subsequent dehydration, both players reportedly had to consume significant amounts of water to provide the necessary samples, finally leaving the testing room at 9:30 p.m. local time, 2.5 hours after the match concluded.

The match was a hard-fought contest that saw Vietnam open the scoring through a penalty taken by captain Khuat Van Khang. Kyrgyzstan responded strongly, capitalizing on a defensive error in the 44th minute when Marlen Murzakhmatov equalized with a stunning long-range strike. Vietnam eventually secured the win late in the second half after a corner kick led to an own goal by Khristiyan Brauzman.

"This victory is the result of the team's efforts throughout the 90 minutes," said Khang. "The match had many twists and turns, but we anticipated every situation, from scoring first to conceding an equalizer, and remained determined to win."

Midfielder Nguyen Thai Son, who was named the man of the match, also viewed the win as hard-earned.

"We try our best in every match to aim for the furthest possible finish," Son said.

 

 

Two Vietnam players undergo doping tests after U23 Asian Cup victory over Kyrgyzstan

VIE 2-1 KYR