2026 AFC U23 Championship: U23 Vietnam Holds an Advantage in the Race to the Quarterfinals

Despite dominating possession (75%), taking nearly three times as many shots, and having a numerical advantage from the 34th minute due to Sharshenbekov’s red card, U23 Saudi Arabia struggled against Kyrgyzstan’s disciplined defense and only managed a narrow 1-0 victory.

With this outcome, U23 Saudi Arabia also has 3 points after the first Group A match but sits second with a +1 goal difference, behind U23 Vietnam who leads with +2. U23 Kyrgyzstan ranks third, while U23 Jordan remains at the bottom of the group.

According to the regulations of the 2026 AFC U23 Championship, the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals. Therefore, U23 Vietnam currently holds an advantage in the battle for qualification.

Coach Kim Sang Sik’s squad will face U23 Kyrgyzstan at 21:00 on January 9 and then take on host U23 Saudi Arabia at 23:30 on January 12.

Earlier on January 6, following U23 Vietnam’s 2-0 win against U23 Jordan, coach Kim Sang Sik expressed gratitude for his players’ brave spirit in the hot weather conditions. The Korean coach also explained that the coaching staff focused intensively on set-piece training, which was a key factor contributing to U23 Vietnam’s goals.