Nguyen Hieu Minh not only played a solid role as central defender but also scored Vietnam's decisive second goal. In the 41st minute, from a corner kick on the right wing by Khuat Van Khang, the defender wearing number 4 positioned himself perfectly to tap the ball in from close range. His performance earned him the 'player of the match' award.

After the match, Hieu Minh stated that while Vietnam was considered the underdog against Jordan, the game, especially the first half, proved otherwise. "We viewed Jordan as a strong opponent and had to put in a lot of effort to win", Hieu Minh said at the post-match press conference at King Abdullah Sports City stadium. "The entire team is very happy. Our goal is to win each match to advance past the group stage".

Nguyen Hieu Minh (number 4) scored in the 41st minute, helping Vietnam defeat Jordan 2-0 in their opening match of Group A at the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 finals, held at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 6/1/2025. Photo: AFC

In the first half, Vietnam maintained 68% ball possession. However, this figure dropped to 48% for the entire match as Jordan dominated the second half. Despite their dominance, Jordan lacked effectiveness in their final passes and shots. Conversely, Vietnam's defense provided excellent cover for each other, consistently positioning themselves to clear threats.

Despite keeping a clean sheet, Hieu Minh believes Vietnam needs to learn lessons for their upcoming matches in Group A. "The defensive line played well and was very solid. In the crucial moments, goalkeeper Tran Trung Kien also remained focused to prevent any goals", Hieu Minh stated. "The entire team played with such focus throughout the match, and we need to maintain that spirit for the next game against Kyrgyzstan".

Born in 2004 in Hanoi, Hieu Minh serves as the vice-captain for U23 Vietnam. He developed his skills at the PVF Youth Football Training Center and currently plays for PVF-CAND in the V-League.

Despite being a central defender, Hieu Minh poses a significant threat from set pieces and has been consistently scoring under coach Kim Sang-sik. Before his goal against Jordan, he scored in Vietnam's 3-0 victory over Laos in the U23 Southeast Asian Championship group stage in 7/2025. In 10/2025, Minh scored the sole goal that secured Vietnam's win against Nepal in the final qualifiers for the Asian Cup 2027. Subsequently, he opened the scoring in the 2-0 win against Malaysia during the SEA Games 33 group stage.

The three points against Jordan place Vietnam at the top of Group A, allowing them to comfortably watch Kyrgyzstan play Saudi Arabia at 23:00 tonight (Hanoi time). In their second group stage match, Vietnam will face Kyrgyzstan at 21:00 on 9/1.

Hieu Luong