The Indonesian version of CNN ran a headline stating, "'Vietnam sinks Saudi Arabia to make history for ASEAN football.'" The report highlighted that this marks the first time a Southeast Asian representative has topped a group in the AFC U23 Asian Cup finals. Prior to this, the best performance by teams from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia was securing second place in their groups.

Vietnam (in white) during their victory over Saudi Arabia at Prince Abdullah al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the final matchday of Group A of the AFC U23 Asian Cup on the evening of 12/1. *Photo: AFC*

Prior to this year's tournament, Southeast Asian teams had advanced to the AFC U23 Asian Cup quarterfinals six times: Vietnam and Malaysia in 2018, Thailand in 2020, Vietnam in 2022, and Vietnam and Indonesia in 2024. In all these instances, however, the ASEAN teams had only managed to secure second place in their groups.

Coach Kim Sang-sik led Vietnam to a historic achievement by winning all three Group A matches in this tournament. The team secured a perfect 9 points, defeating Jordan 2-0, Kyrgyzstan 2-1, and Saudi Arabia 1-0.

In a separate article published after the match on the evening of 12/1, CNN noted that Vietnam played "without any fear of Saudi Arabia." Coach Kim's team effectively neutralized all of the hosts' attacks and secured the lone goal thanks to forward Nguyen Dinh Bac in the 64th minute.

Indonesian sports website Bola described Vietnam's 1-0 victory as an "upset." The article noted that "after winning their first two matches, Vietnam entered the game with significantly more confidence than their opponents." Conversely, Saudi Arabia, having lost to Jordan in their second match, appeared to lack confidence. Despite being considered underdogs, Vietnam played disciplined football and secured three points from the hosts.

Key moments of the Saudi Arabia 0-1 Vietnam match.

Tribun News also lauded Vietnam as the number one team in Southeast Asia. The newspaper stated, "'Vietnam is the region's leader whenever they face top Asian opponents.'" The team is now aiming for a historic achievement by reaching the final, reminiscent of their run in the 2018 tournament. Kim's squad's performance warrants special commendation.

In a separate piece, Tribun News drew a comparison between Vietnam's success at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 and Indonesia's early elimination in the qualifiers. In the previous tournament, Indonesia had reached the semi-finals, but this time they were held to a draw by Laos during the qualifying rounds. The article emphasized, "'Vietnam's success is not accidental, as they won all three group stage matches.'" It contrasted this with Indonesia's "tragic fate" of failing to qualify for the finals.

Thai sports website Think Curve also recognized U23 Vietnam's record-breaking performance, commending the team for its "excellent display" in the tournament. This marks Vietnam's fourth time advancing past the AFC U23 Asian Cup group stage, following their runs in 2018, 2022, and 2024. This achievement is superior to that of all other Southeast Asian teams combined.

Compiled by Hoang An