Vietnam aims for U23 Asian Cup berth against Singapore

Coach Kim Sang-sik's team needs to capitalize on the opportunity against underdog Singapore on Saturday to set the stage for the decisive match against Yemen in the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers.

Vietnam's players celebrate their 2-0 victory over Bangladesh in the opening match of the U23 Asian Cup qualifiers on 3/9 at Viet Tri Stadium, Phu Tho. Photo: Thu Khuc

*Vietnam – Singapore: 7 p.m. Saturday, on VnExpress.

The standings in Group C at Viet Tri Stadium have taken shape, revealing Vietnam's main competitor. In the opening matches, while the hosts defeated Bangladesh 2-0, Yemen also overcame Singapore 2-1. Consequently, the second round of matches is crucial for the top two teams to strategize for the final round, where they will compete for the direct qualification spot.

Yemen is expected to easily defeat the weakest team in the group, Bangladesh, in the match at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Singapore is also not considered a strong opponent compared to Vietnam. The team from the Lion City arrived at the qualifiers with a predominantly U20 squad, lacking experience and standout players. In their opening match, they made several defensive errors, conceding two penalties.

However, this does not guarantee an easy victory for Vietnam. After the first match, coach Kim publicly admitted his dissatisfaction with the overall performance, especially the effectiveness of the attack. The home team dominated the game, opening the scoring early thanks to Nguyen Ngoc My, but also squandered several opportunities. They only secured the win near the end of the second half with a goal from substitute midfielder Le Viktor.

According to central defender Pham Ly Duc, in recent days coach Kim has urged the players to learn from their mistakes, emphasizing that in football, if you don't take your chances, you can't win. "Singapore has a young squad, but we won't underestimate them. The whole team must focus on both defense and attack to secure a victory," he said.

With a squad of 22 players who recently won the U23 Southeast Asian Championship, supplemented by striker Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Vietnam will certainly have the upper hand. However, coach Kim himself is somewhat concerned about the players' physical condition due to the hot weather in Phu Tho. Therefore, the Korean strategist called on fans to come to the stadium in greater numbers to support his team.

"We have reviewed the footage of the previous match and prepared for the upcoming matches in terms of tactics and physicality," Kim said. "We hope that the fans in Phu Tho will come and cheer for the players so that U23 Vietnam can have a good game."

The 2026 U23 Asian Cup qualifiers take 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 tournament.

In the last three encounters at the U23 level, Vietnam is unbeaten against Singapore (two wins, one draw). Our most recent defeat to this opponent was back in 2013 at the SEA Games.

Predicted lineups:

Vietnam: Trung Kien, Ly Duc, Nhat Minh, Hieu Minh, Phi Hoang, Xuan Bac, Van Truong, Van Khang, Viktor Le, Thanh Nhan, Dinh Bac.

Singapore: Aizil, Aqil Yazid, Kieran Teo, Raoul Suhami, Andrew, Hardy Yussri, Nur Asis, Jonan Tan, Nadim Rahim, Rashid, Danish.