Vietnam dominated their lower-ranked opponent at the Viet Tri Stadium. Nguyen Ngoc My opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and Le Viktor added a second in the 83rd minute. The scoreline could have been more emphatic, but the woodwork and missed opportunities in front of goal kept Bangladesh in the game.

"We were unlucky in some situations. The opponent also played well in the second half, especially their goalkeeper," Kim Sang-sik said in the post-match press conference. "I'm not entirely satisfied with the overall performance, but we will work together to improve for the upcoming matches."

Coach Kim Sang-sik (in black) reacts as Vietnam misses a scoring opportunity during their 2-0 victory against Bangladesh in their opening Group C match of the 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho, on 3/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

The 90 minutes at Viet Tri Stadium saw coach Kim Sang-sik experience a mix of near misses and frustration. He was also seen giving strong instructions and reminders to his players.

The result was the one aspect that pleased the South Korean coach. After the opening round, Vietnam leads Group C with three points, level with Yemen but ahead on goal difference (+2 compared to +1). Before the match, Kim also watched Yemen defeat Singapore 2-1.

"The level of the four teams is not significantly different, so we must prepare thoroughly," Kim said. "The most important factor is maintaining physical strength throughout the 90 minutes, especially when playing in hot and humid weather."

Regarding individual performances, Kim praised players like Russian-Vietnamese Le Viktor for his first goal for the U23 team and forward Thanh Nhan for his intelligent movement after returning from injury. Meanwhile, midfielder Nguyen Xuan Bac, impressive during the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, needs to improve his passing and movement to become a more complete player.

Forward Nguyen Ngoc My (in red) scores in the 15th minute during Vietnam's 2-0 win over Bangladesh in the opening Group C match of the 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho, on 3/9/2025. Photo: Hoang Huynh

Bangladesh was without head coach Saiful Bari Titu, who fell ill upon arrival in Vietnam. Assistant coach Hasan Al Mamum, temporarily in charge, considered the loss a normal outcome against the strongest team in the group. "We will try to win against Yemen in the next match. The team is determined to qualify for the final round," Hasan said.

Despite the loss, goalkeeper Srabon was named player of the match for his impressive saves. He acknowledged the home team's cohesive and well-coordinated play. "We tried our best to stop them, but it didn't work," Srabon said. "I'm disappointed that we couldn't win."

On 6/9, Vietnam will face Singapore at 7 PM, while Yemen plays Bangladesh at 4 PM.

The 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers are taking place from 3/9 to 9/9, with 44 teams divided into 11 groups across 11 countries. The teams play a round-robin format, with the 11 group winners and the four best second-placed teams joining hosts Saudi Arabia in the final round.

Hieu Luong