U23 Vietnam: The Mark of Coach Kim Sang-sik

This marks the first time in history that U23 Vietnam has defeated U23 Saudi Arabia. In their two previous encounters, Vietnam lost to this opponent in the quarterfinals of the 2022 AFC U23 Championship and the group stage of the 2023 Asian Games. Even at the senior national team level, Vietnam has lost all four matches against Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this victory holds historic significance for Vietnamese football.

Securing all 3 points against U23 Saudi Arabia, Coach Kim Sang-sik once again demonstrated his special affinity with Vietnamese youth football. To date, the Korean strategist remains undefeated in all official matches while directly managing U22 and U23 Vietnam teams.

The historic win over Saudi Arabia not only completed U23 Vietnam’s streak of 14 consecutive victories but also revived glorious moments in the nation’s football history. The Korean coach set an impressive milestone, proving that the success is not accidental but the result of a well-structured development process.

This figure excludes friendly matches used for experimenting with lineups, where Coach Kim Sang-sik often delegates authority to assistants to observe from the stands.

The team led by Coach Kim Sang-sik has become a “nemesis” for host teams. At the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, the team defeated host Indonesia 1-0 in the final at the intense Bung Karno stadium. Then, at the 33rd SEA Games, U23 Vietnam beat host Thailand 3-2 in a thrilling final, affirming their top regional status. At the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals, the team continued to make a big impact by winning all three group matches, especially the historic 1-0 victory over host Saudi Arabia.

In highly competitive tournaments like the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers, the 2025 Southeast Asian U23 Championship, the 33rd SEA Games, and now the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals, Coach Kim Sang-sik’s tactics have helped Vietnamese teams maintain an unbeaten streak.

U23 Vietnam also set a record by winning all three group matches in the AFC U23 Championship for the first time. In their three previous group stage advances (2018, 2022, and 2024), the young Vietnamese players always finished second in their groups.

The impressive performances of Coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad demonstrate the clear growth of Vietnamese youth football on the continental stage, both in competitive spirit and technical quality.

Coach Kim Sang-sik is likened to water: flexible yet powerful when necessary. His excellent game reading and substitution skills have helped the team overcome the toughest moments.

In this year’s group stage, U23 Vietnam left a strong impression with disciplined play, solid defense, and clinical finishing. Dinh Bac’s goal against U23 Saudi Arabia exemplified the team’s patience and resilience under intense pressure from the home crowd.

One of the biggest highlights at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship finals is the squad depth that Coach Kim Sang-sik has built. He utilized 21 out of 23 players during the group stage, allowing key players to rest before the knockout rounds.

The sharp ability to capitalize on chances represents a significant step forward, helping U23 Vietnam finish the group stage with results beyond the expectations of the coaching staff and fans before the tournament began.

Set pieces have also been maximized by Coach Kim Sang-sik. The two goals against Jordan, both from corner kick routines and a penalty, demonstrated the thorough preparation of the U23 team.

U23 Vietnam is soaring high in Saudi Arabia. Their consecutive achievements have earned admiration and surprise across Asia. At the heart of it all, Coach Kim Sang-sik deserves recognition as a new symbol of success, opening a brilliant and promising chapter for Vietnamese football.

Securing first place in the group also gives U23 Vietnam a psychological advantage heading into the knockout stage, where Coach Kim Sang-sik’s team is determined to maintain the form and style they have shown from the start of the tournament.

In the quarterfinals, U23 Vietnam will face U23 UAE, the second-placed team in Group B.

In the final match of Group B at the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, U23 UAE and U23 Syria drew 1-1. This single point was enough for U23 UAE to advance to the quarterfinals this year.

Accordingly, the West Asian representative finished the group stage with 4 points, equal to U23 Syria but ahead on goal difference (-1 compared to -4), thus securing second place in Group B.

This will be the third meeting between U23 Vietnam and U23 UAE. In their previous two encounters, U23 Vietnam lost 2-3 (2016) and drew 0-0 (2020) against U23 UAE, both tournaments where Vietnam was eliminated in the group stage.

According to the semifinal bracket, if U23 Vietnam overcomes the West Asian team, they will face the winner of the match between U23 Uzbekistan and the runner-up of Group D. U23 Vietnam has the opportunity for a rematch with U23 Uzbekistan, who defeated them in the 2018 final and the 2024 group stage.

U23 Uzbekistan has consistently reached the semifinals of the AFC U23 Championship since 2018, winning the title in 2018 and finishing as runners-up in 2022 and 2024.

U23 Vietnam aims to advance deep into the tournament, promising to deliver exciting matches in the knockout phase. The rise of the U23 players combined with Coach Kim Sang-sik’s tactical versatility strengthens fans’ confidence in a longer journey this year.

According to the schedule, the 2026 AFC U23 Championship quarterfinal match between U23 Vietnam and U23 UAE will take place at 10:30 PM on January 16.