* Vietnam - Kyrgyzstan: 9 PM today, 9/1, on VnExpress.

The Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) was established in 2014, with six members: Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Geographically, Central Asia comprises five nations: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, however, is affiliated with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

Midfielder Nguyen Duc Phu dribbles between two Uzbekistan players during an AFC U23 Asian Cup group stage match at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar on 23/4/2024. Photo: Doan Huynh

Midfielder Nguyen Duc Phu dribbles between two Uzbekistan players during an AFC U23 Asian Cup group stage match at Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar on 23/4/2024. Photo: Doan Huynh

Vietnam has faced CAFA representatives twice in the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers and finals, both times against Uzbekistan. The first encounter was in the 2018 AFC U23 Asian Cup final, where Park Hang-seo's side lost 1-2 in extra time in a classic match played in snow-covered Changzhou, China. The most recent meeting was in the group stage of the 2024 AFC U23 Asian Cup, where Hoang Anh Tuan's side lost 0-3.

Uzbekistan is significantly stronger than most other CAFA members, particularly in youth football. Including friendly matches, Vietnam has faced Uzbekistan 12 times without a single victory. However, Kyrgyzstan is not considered as formidable as Uzbekistan, offering Kim Sang-sik's side an opportunity to break their losing streak in today's match at 9 PM on 9/1, Hanoi time.

In official matches against all CAFA opponents, Vietnam U23 has won three and lost five matches, with no draws. Besides the two losses to Uzbekistan mentioned earlier, the team also lost to Turkmenistan 2-6 and Iran 0-1 in the group stage of the 16th Asiad in Guangzhou, China, in 2010. They also suffered a 0-4 defeat to Iran in the group stage of the 19th Asiad in Hangzhou, China, in 2023.

Vietnam U23 secured three official victories against CAFA representatives: a 2-0 win over Afghanistan in the Beijing Olympics qualifiers in 2008, and both a 1-0 victory against Kyrgyzstan and a 4-1 win over Iran in the group stage of the 17th Asiad in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.

Including friendly matches, Vietnam has faced Kyrgyzstan three times. In addition to the victory at the 17th Asiad, the team also defeated Kyrgyzstan 3-0 in a friendly match in the UAE on 17/10/2021, ahead of the 2022 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, in their most recent encounter at the Doha Cup friendly tournament on 28/3/2023, the two teams drew 0-0 before Vietnam lost 4-5 in a penalty shootout.

In their opening match of the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup, Kyrgyzstan played with one man down early due to midfielder Arsen Sharshenbekov's red card in the 34th minute. Despite this, they only lost 0-1 to hosts Saudi Arabia in the 88th minute. Therefore, Edmar de Lacerda's squad should not be underestimated.

Xuan Binh