Goals from Nguyen Dinh Bac and Nguyen Hieu Minh secured a 2-0 victory for Vietnam U23 against Jordan U23 in their AFC U23 Asian Cup opener. This win not only provided a perfect start to the tournament but also ended Vietnam's three-match winless streak against Jordan at the U23 level, which previously consisted of draws and losses.

Dinh Bac celebrates Vietnam's opening goal against Jordan in the first match of Group A, AFC U23 Asian Cup finals, at King Abdullah Sports City Hall, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 6/1/2026. Photo: AFC

Previous encounters between the two U23 teams saw Vietnam lose one match, 1-3, in the group stage of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2016, and draw one match, 0-0, in the group stage of the 2020 tournament. Their most recent meeting was a friendly on 10/4/2024, which also ended 0-0 before Jordan won in a penalty shootout. Vietnam's senior national team, however, previously defeated Jordan in a penalty shootout during the round of 16 at the Asian Cup 2019, under coach Park Hang-seo, before being eliminated by Japan with a narrow 1-0 loss in the quarterfinals.

This marks the second time Vietnam has won its opening match at the tournament. The first was in the previous edition, when coach Hoang Anh Tuan's squad defeated Kuwait 3-1. They then beat Malaysia 2-0 to advance to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Iraq. In the four tournaments prior to that, Vietnam had only drawn or lost their first matches.

The victory over Jordan at this AFC U23 Asian Cup is a notable achievement for Vietnam, as their opponents fielded several national team players who had already secured a spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026 finals for the first time. These included 1.91-meter central defender Ali Hajabi, forward Odeh Fakhoury, and Baker Kalbouneh.

Two of these three players, Hajabi and Fakhoury, started in the match against Vietnam. Hajabi made a defensive error, allowing Hieu Minh to head in the second goal, making it 2-0. Fakhoury created multiple attacking opportunities but failed to convert them into goals.

Vietnam's win was attributed to better utilization of opportunities. Coach Kim Sang-sik's team had 13 shots, scoring two goals. In contrast, Jordan had 21 chances but failed to score. Vietnam's shot accuracy towards the goal was 46%, significantly higher than Jordan's 14% of their opponent.

This win greatly enhances Vietnam's chances of reaching the quarterfinals. If they defeat Kyrgyzstan in their second match on the evening of 9/1, coach Kim's team will be almost certain to advance. The team's performance in this tournament will also serve as a criterion for seeding in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2028 finals, which doubles as the qualifiers for the Olympic Los Angeles 2028.

Xuan Binh