Players of Vietnam (in red) and China compete for the ball during their semifinal at the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, January 20, 2026. Vietnam’s task became harder when defender Pham Ly Duc was shown a straight red card, leaving the team a man down, although a later VAR review overturned a potential third goal for China. Wang Yudong added a late goal to complete the 3-0 win, sending China into the AFC U23 Asian Cup final for the first time, where they will play Japan on Saturday. Vietnam will face South Korea in the third-place match on Friday. The 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup is being held in Saudi Arabia from January 6 to 24.

Source: Tuoitre News January 21, 2026 02:56 UTC