At Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium, Vietnam maintained only 40% possession and took four shots, two of which were on target. This contrasted sharply with Saudi Arabia's 26 shots, with 7 on target. However, Vietnam proved more effective in scoring. Substitute striker Nguyen Dinh Bac netted the sole goal of the match in the 64th minute with a powerful breakthrough and a bold shot from a tight angle.

"It was a difficult match under immense pressure from the hosts, but my players gave their all," coach Kim Sang-sik stated. "Before coming to Saudi Arabia, I couldn't have imagined Vietnam winning all their group stage matches. The players sacrificed for the team, striving in every match to achieve this result."

Coach Kim Sang-sik directs the team during Vietnam's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the final match of Group A of the U23 Asian Championship 2026, at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 12/1/2026. *Photo: AFC*

Prior to this decisive match, Vietnam had secured victories against Jordan (2-0) and Kyrgyzstan (2-1). Coach Kim's team consequently topped Group A with 9 points. Jordan followed with 6 points, Saudi Arabia with 3 points, and Kyrgyzstan finished with 0 points.

Excluding penalty shootouts, this marks the first time Vietnam has won three matches in an U23 Asian Championship finals.

Against hosts Saudi Arabia, coach Kim made a surprising move by changing nearly half of the starting lineup. Right-back Vo Anh Quan, along with the attacking trio Nguyen Ngoc My, Viktor Le, and Nguyen Cong Phuong, made their first starts.

The Korean coach explained that these changes were necessary as players had suffered from reduced fitness and faced multiple injuries after the first two matches, necessitating a different approach to the game. "We had different plans for each half, and everything unfolded as planned," he added.

Key moments from Vietnam's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.

In the quarter-finals, Vietnam will face either UAE or Syria. Their exact opponent will be determined after these two teams play their final Group B match on the evening of 14/1. Coach Kim expressed his belief in his wonderful players. He emphasized that if the team continues to maintain unity and play as a cohesive unit, Vietnam will deliver another strong performance in the quarter-finals.

"We will continue to prepare well to continue writing history in the quarter-finals," the coach, born in 1976, stated. "These recent victories are thanks to the love and enthusiastic support from fans, which helped the players show their full potential and achieve good results."

Hieu Luong