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Coach Kim Sang-sik bows to referee Koji Takasaki at the end of the 2025 AFF U23 Championship final at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia, 29/7/2025. Screenshot.
In the 8th minute of stoppage time in the second half, Indonesia was awarded a throw-in on the left side near Vietnam's technical area. The Vietnamese coaching staff immediately placed water bottles within the permitted area to limit Robi Darwis's long throw-in ability.
When Indonesia had to retake the throw-in, coach Kim Sang-sik stood in Darwis's throwing lane. Fourth official Sami Ismail asked the South Korean coach to move, but he protested, claiming he had done nothing wrong.
After receiving a signal from Ismail, referee Koji Takasaki ran over and issued Kim a yellow card. In response, the Vietnam U23 coach unexpectedly clasped his hands and bowed three times to the Japanese referee.
Coach Kim Sang-sik bows to referee Koji Takasaki.
The incident didn't end there. Witnessing the delay, Indonesia's goalkeeping coach, Sjoerd Woudenberg, ran over. He initially appeared aggressive, as if about to confront coach Kim, but instead bent down and threw the water bottles inside the technical area. Referee Takasaki immediately showed Woudenberg a straight red card.
The Indonesian goalkeeping coach left the field for the tunnel in anger. Meanwhile, head coach Gerald Vanenburg also approached Vietnam's technical area to react to his counterpart's actions.
With a 1-0 lead, Vietnam opted for a defensive approach towards the end, causing the second half, initially with 5 minutes of added time, to end in the 11th minute of stoppage time. In Indonesia's final attack, goalkeeper Ardiansyah launched a long ball from midfield into the penalty area, but goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien rushed out to catch it cleanly.
When the final whistle blew, the Vietnamese players rushed onto the field to celebrate, while the home team players showed disappointment. However, some Indonesian players, such as Muhammad Ferarri and Kadek Arel, still took the initiative to shake hands and congratulate the Vietnamese side.
Key moments of Vietnam's 1-0 victory over Indonesia in the 2025 AFF U23 Championship final.
Vietnam won 1-0 thanks to Nguyen Cong Phuong's goal in the 37th minute. They defended throughout the second half and withstood the pressure.
The match was tense, with several clashes between players from both sides, but never crossed the line. Vietnam committed 9 fouls, while Indonesia had 11. The referee issued 8 yellow cards, including 6 for Vietnam, and 1 red card for the hosts.
Vietnam won the AFF U23 Championship for the third consecutive time, following their victories in 2022 and 2023. This is also the first regional men's football tournament that Vietnam has dominated for three consecutive editions.
Trung Thu
