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Goals from Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Hieu Minh not only gave the team a perfect start to the tournament but also ended a frustrating three-match winless streak against Jordan.
The two sides first met in the 2016 group stage, which resulted in a 1-3 loss for Vietnam, followed by a scoreless draw in the 2020 edition. Most recently, the two sides met in a friendly on April 10, 2024, which ended 0-0 before Jordan ultimately won on penalties.
Tuesday victory also marked the second time Vietnam have won their opening match at the U23 Asian Cup. The only other time was in the previous tournament, where coach Hoang Anh Tuan’s side defeated Kuwait 3-1 and later beat Malaysia 2-0 to reach the quarterfinals before losing to Iraq. In the four editions prior to that, Vietnam had consistently failed to win their opening game.
While Vietnam previously defeated Jordan at the national team level during the 2019 Asian Cup round of 16, that match was decided by a penalty shootout. The team, under coach Park Hang-seo, reached the quarterfinals before a narrow 1-0 exit against Japan.
The win this time is seen as a major surprise as Jordan's roster features several players of the national team, who have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, including center-back Ali Hajabi, and forwards Odeh Fakhoury and Baker Kalbouneh.
Two of Jordan’s star players, Hajabi and Fakhoury, started the match. However, a marking error by Hajabi allowed Hieu Minh to head home Vietnam's second goal, while Fakhoury was active in the attacking line, but unable to score.
Vietnam won by taking advantage of chances better than Jordan. Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team managed to have 13 shots, achieving a 46% shot-on-target rate. In contrast, Jordan created 21 chances but failed to capitalize on any, finishing with a disappointing 14% accuracy rate.
Vietnam are in a great position to advance to the quarterfinals. Should they defeat Kyrgyzstan in their second match on Friday night, Vietnam will almost certainly secure a spot in the knockout stage. The team's final ranking in this tournament is also crucial for the future, as it will determine the seeding for the 2028 U23 Asian Cup, which serves as the qualifying round for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
2026 U23 Asian Cup highlights: Vietnam 2-0 Jordan
